The Pantera Chronicles: The Gathering
by OrganizedChaos5220
Summary: Trainers gather from all corners of Pantera to dethrone an oppressive Overlord. AU. Chapter 15: Survive. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
1. Chapter 1: Burn It Down

Chapter 1: Burn It Down

It was a quiet night on the Strife farm. The Miltank were all safe inside the barn and the Strife family was sleeping peacefully in their beds, but all was not as it looked on this quiet farm. Under the cover of a moonless night a man strode down the long winding road leading from the main town to the remote ranch. His face was masked by a dark hood connected to his similarly colored robes. As he walked the man considered his mission, he had been sent by Overlord Sharakor himself to assonate an enemy of the state, but what could a simple farmer have done to deserve this? He remembered then the words that had got him this far as an assassin "mine is not to reason why, mine is but to do or die". The man could not remember where he had heard these words but they had become his motto and his motivation and so he continued down the path towards his target.

When he was within a hundred yards of the farm house he stopped pausing for a moment to take a Pokeball from his belt. He tossed the ball casually in the air and out came his partner in business and crime his trusty Houndoom. With a silent nod from the assassin the duo of death walked forward towards the house once again.

Inside the house seven year old Kennith Strife was still awake lying in his bed looking out of his window. A flash of red light illuminated a short figure that seemed to be approaching the house on the road. Who would be coming to pay a visit at such a late hour the young boy wondered? Whoever it was he thought he should go greet him after all he had probably walked for miles to get here and surely would be weary. As he opened the front door another red light illuminated the sky but this time is was far from harmless.

"Burn it down." The small assassin ordered and his Pokémon complied with his request immediately letting loose a torrent of flames from deep in its throat that shot towards the house like a meteor. The blast decimated what had been Kenith's room and within seconds the blaze had spread to the entire structure. The hooded man thought that for a split second he had seen a tiny black shadow flee from the house but corrected himself after seeing the wreckage, nothing could have escaped that. Returning his partner he removed his hood and lifted a communicator to his mouth a said simply. "It is done."

Kennith had never run so fast in his life than he had when he saw the fireball shoot from the night. His mind was racing with thoughts he couldn't comprehend. Then when he was sure he had escaped the flaming ruins of his home he looked back to see a face he would never forget. In the light from some sort of hand held device he saw the face of the man who was responsible for the loss of his family. The man had a long skinny face with the skin pulled tight over his bones as if they were too big for his face. His eyes showed no emotions, no joy, and no sorrow and certainly no regret over what he had just done. As he watched the man disappear into the distance Kennith began to cry. He cried because he was scared, he cried because of his loss but most of all he cried because it was the only thing he had left to do.

9 Years Later

Ken was ripped out of his dream by way of a friendly nudge from his Flareon. He had been having the nightmare again, the one where his father, mother and twin brother had been ripped from him by the Overlord's assassin. He looked over at his friend and gave him a reassuring look and the Pokémon settled down next to him again. He had been traveling with his Flareon and the rest of his team for three years now looking for the man from his nightmares.

After that horrible night he had gone to live with his father's best friend Suku Fuji the local dojo master. It was there he had received his first Pokémon a Charmander his father's final gift to him. He stayed at the dojo learning various fighting techniques for six years and had learned much, but had never wanted to take up raising the fighting type when it came to Pokémon. Instead he choose to train the very type that had been responsible for the destruction of his life as he had known it.

His choice of Pokémon had left him somewhat ostracized from the other pupils who gladly raised the fighting type, but he didn't mind. Ever since that night he had never quite trusted other people outside of Master Fuji of course. The man had been kind to him when he needed it most and had taken him as his own teaching him the family traditions and passing down the rich heritage of fighters to him. Though Ken had appreciated the gifts and the years he lived with the kind man and his welcoming family on his thirteenth birthday he knew the time had come for him to leave. He was determined to track down his family's murderer and bring him to justice by the same means of his crimes.

Three years later he had made no progress and was starting to give up hope but he knew he couldn't give in to the temptation of surrender the man was out there if he could only get just one lead. This is where the problem lied, the man was a ghost. Many people had heard of him and his infamous deeds but none wished to speak of him amount themselves even, much less to a 16 year old child. The only information he had gathered was that he worked as an assassin for the Overlord and went by many names, most notably the fire snake. He was rumored to be the Overlord's most valuable tool used for eliminating enemies of the Overlord without placing any blame on the ruler.

Overlord Sharakor was the ruler of Pantera the country in which Ken lived. Pantera was a very large island in the shape of a very rough circle. In the center of the island was Dragons Reach a mountain whose peak soared far above the clouds. On top of this mountain was the Overlords Fortress. Protected by his royal guard and a maze of walls and buttresses Overlord Sharakor ruled the last with an iron fist and all those who dared to oppose him all seemed to mysteriously disappear.

Dispelling such thoughts ken rolled back over and in an attempt to fall back asleep. Finding that sleep was not forthcoming Ken got up and looked around him. He was in the middle of a dense forest that offered shelter from the rain that had been so persistent in the last week and also from the eyes of the Royal Guard. Though he had not openly challenged the Overlord he had been asking questions about the Fire Snake and people had gone missing for much less than that, it was better to just stay away from towns and other heavily populated areas.

After he finished breaking down his primitive camp that had consisted of a hole in the ground for a fire and a fold up cot he had borrowed from the dojo Ken looked down at his map wondering where his next stop should be. He was presently in the Azul woods just outside of Vermillion City on the Northeast corner of the island. The next closest town was further inland and was called Celadon City. Judging by the map Celadon looked like a large city where he could be seen and blend into a crowd. He didn't plan on staying long, he never did, but wanted to spend at least one night in one of the hotels there in addition to replacing his worn out clothes.

He replaced the map in his large brown back where he kept all of his traveling essentials. Flareon was currently engrossed in trying to catch a Pidgey that was easily gliding from tree to tree avoiding the snatching paws of the fire wolf. Ken smiled at his Pokémon's antics and watched the playful creature for awhile. It was one of the small joys he had left, spending time with his Pokémon. He met his Flareon in the dojo as an Eevee, back then it had been scrounging for food behind the dojo out of trashcans. Ken took pity on the small Pokémon and their bond grew to the point where it was second only to that he had with his oldest friend Charizard.

After some time of this Ken stood up and looked at Flareon expectantly, Flareon gave him a sour look and stood still as he was returned to his Pokeball. Flareon hated the contraption so Ken usually let him roam free but he had a long flight ahead and didn't want to risk Flareon falling off midway through. Clipping the ball that held the energetic Pokémon back to his belt he removed another one and released the Pokémon inside. Out came a massive dragon that towered several feet above Ken's six foot frame. Its tail burned with a bright fire and it gave a roar of joy when Ken indicated that they would be flying.

With Ken safely latched to Charizard's neck the dragon rocketed into the sky with a mighty flag of its wings. Soon they were flying level above the clouds and Ken felt safe enough to lift up his hands from Charizard's neck enough to retrieve his harmonica from the brown backpack. It was always a serene feeling to sit above the clouds and play music and to feel the wind in his hair attempting to dislodge him from his position. Below the clouds started to thin and before long Celadon City came into view. Ken instructed Charizard to set down on the outskirts of the town as not to draw unwanted attention to him.

The city itself was a very busy place and as Ken had hoped it provided him the perfect place to get lost in the crowd. His first stop was to the Celadon Department Store to purchase new clothes. His old dojo uniform was too conspicuous and though he had remained mostly unnoticed traveling through the city a few passersby had thrown interesting looks in his direction because of the brown jumpsuit that was the dress code of the dojo.

He found what he was looking for on the second floor in a department labeled "Trainers". The entire floor was laid out in clothes for aspiring trainers and all of it was surprisingly cheap. Though he supposed that it was also mass produced by a company owned by the Overlord no doubt. He ended up with a pair of dark grey jeans and a black long sleeved shirt over which he wore a dark blue short sleeved jacket. On his way out of the store he noticed a bin that was giving away free trainers gloves; they were fingerless black gloves with white bands around the wrists that were supposedly for helping one grip a Pokeball better. He figured that as long as they were free they couldn't hurt so he picked up a pair and left the store.

Finding a hotel was not nearly as easy as his shopping trip had been but eventually he fought one that claimed to have belonged to Erika the Compassionate, whoever that was. When he stepped inside Ken found the place to be nearly deserted except for one old man sitting behind the counter.

"Can I help you son?" He asked in a croaking voice

"Yes, I was wondering if there are any rooms available." Alex responded without hope despite the deserted lobby. The old man answered his question with a laugh.

"Of course there are rooms my boy, there are always rooms here." He said finishing rather ominously.

Several minutes later Ken was sitting in his small room and realized why this was the only place left in town. For lack of a better word the place was a dump. There was only one window, that though it consumed nearly the entire wall was facing a new skyscraper and offered no view. Overall the hotel looked like a place that had outlived its time, standing still while the world passed it by. Tired from his journey Ken went to sleep after releasing Flareon to sleep on the floor as there was no room for him on the small bed. Ken's last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that he had to find a led and quick or this was going to drive him insane.

Falling away  
Can't buy back time  
Burn it down anyway

Burn It Down- Avenged Sevenfold

Thanks to _**Kairi Avalon**_ for submitting Ken.


	2. Chapter 2: This is War

Chapter 2: This Is War

William Landry awoke to a find a blizzard raging outside of his window which, while not too unusual for Snowpoint City, did make getting around that much harder of a task. Though he supposed that this kind of thing was to be expected when one lived living in the snow capital of Pantera. Groggily he dragged himself out of bed to get dressed thankful that he wouldn't have to leave the house that day to work his job at the Temple. William was a clerk at the Town's crown jewel accomplishment, the newly restored Snowpoint Temple. Many years ago the old temple had crumbled during an earthquake and only recently had the town received a surprising grant from the Overlord to restore it to its former glory.

The restoration process had been a slow one because of the large amount of damage that had been done; fortunately however though the walls had crumbled the foundation had remained more or less intact. The reconstruction team that he had headed had caught another break when a very old set of blueprint had been found in the largely unaffected basement preserved by the subzero temperatures. The whole project must have taken them at least three years but now that it was over William felt that the end was well worth all the hours he and his team and their Pokémon had spent toiling away in the cold.

Now that he was out of bed William stumbled over to his mirror to get ready as he usually would. This was a trick he had learned from living in Snowpoint City for the last five years, even if there was a blizzard and he couldn't even leave his house keeping to a normal schedule was a must or he would get lazy and sit around all day and quickly succumb to cabin fever. He looked into the mirror and saw what he saw every morning, a twenty year old man who had been turned into a product of his environment. He was not a fat man but neither was he skinny, skinny people did not last long in the extreme cold of the mountains. His shoulder length white hair lay straight on his head and was extremely helpful as an extra layer of insulation when he went exploring in the mountains. As clerk at the museum his responsibilities included not only looking after the many texts in the library that had been found when the basement was excavated, but also journeying to the nearby villages to collect any newly discovered texts that had been lost long ago in the great earthquakes. As he pulled on his usual attire, a pair of dark blue jeans and a black long sleeved shirt his mind returned to a book he was reading.

The book was nearly destroyed by age but from what he could make of it William though that it looked a lot like a diary of a man who had lived centuries ago. There were numerous references to a place called Sky Pillar and even more to something the book referred to as the red chain. While he was very interested in reading more about these oddities he had been in a hurry to get out of the Temple last night having noticed the signs of today's blizzard and in his scrabble to get home before he was trapped in the Temple by the ice storm had left the diary there.

Sighing he resigned himself to a day of looking over his maps and planning a new expedition to some villages that sent word of new findings for the Temple's library. The route he was planning looked like it may take him near Celestic Town and him though he may as well plan a visit though not much had been heard from the town in a few years. William always wanted to visit the supposedly history filled town but the opportunity just never presented its self.

William worked for the entire day planning his route, painstakingly noting which paths were open and which would be suicide to try to cross at this time of year. By then time night fell he was mentally exhausted and more than ready to close his eyes but before he did he took one last look outside and was rewarded with signs that the ferocious was beginning to die down and the likely hood of him leaving to return to the Temple to get the diary before he set out on his journey was looking much better.

William did not awake the next day at noon as he planned the next day. Instead he was ripped from slumber by the sounds of a commotion outside. Bolting out of bed he ran to his window to look at what was making enough noise to wake him over the winds of the still blowing storm. What he saw nearly floored him; fires were burning all over the city as a mob of Royal Guards stormed through the snow-covered streets in the direction of the Temple.

Instantly he knew what was happening, this had to be one of the Royal Guard's infamous raiding parties. Every so often Overlord Sharakor would decide that the towns around Dragon's Reach, his mountain fortress, were growing to content so he would send out a legion of his guards to remind them who was in charge. It was a barbaric practice that served no purpose but to spread fear among the people of Pantera which was of course exactly the reason for its existence.

William was a peaceful man and though he was an adept battler he preferred reading and gathering knowledge to fighting, but every man has his line that if crossed will bring out a side of him that is unrecognizable and these guards had just crossed his. Within a minute he had dressed himself in his travel gear and was storming after the guards his Pokémon on a belt around his waist.

As he ran through the streets William tried to comprehend what was happening, why had the Overlord funded their project to rebuild the Temple if he was simply going to send a force to destroy it? Was he really that cruel to give a gift such as that only to rip it away so suddenly? No William thought this had to be more involved than that, but what was the reason? In his state of anger and confusion William hardly noticed the cold or even the snow that whipped by his face soaking his hair, the only thing he could think about was stopping these men by whatever means possible. He reached the temple to find that the guard has already begun to start burning it. It was not the building its self that William worried about, their fire would hardly hurt the solid stone walls, but rather the vast library that was perhaps Pantera's best link to its past.

"Go Walrien" He bellowed over the roaring winds catching the attention of the nearest group of guards who were lighting torches no doubt to be used on his precious books. "Use Hydro Pump!" Walrien complied without hesitation seeing the anger and determination in William's eyes proceeding to blast the would-be arsonists with a surge of high pressured water emanating from deep in his throat. The guards were propelled by the stream of water into another larger group of Guards members who turned to face this unexpected threat.

The group consisted of around twenty guards each with his own team of Pokémon but William didn't care he would face them all if that was what it took to defend his sanctuary. At the head of the group clad in a deep red robe was a short man with a narrow face and a sinister smile. William recognized him immediately as the one called The Fire Snake, also known as the Overlord's personal hit man. Upon seeing William and his Pokémon the short man let out a laugh of contempt and took a step forward to address William.

"So this is Snowpoints resistance is it?" He asked to no one in particular "One chubby albino and his pet walrus? What exactly is it that you hope to accomplish with this foolish attack?"

"I'm here to protect that library!" William yelled back "And if it means fighting every single one of you then I will! You will regret setting foot in my city!" He bluffed knowing full well that he could not take on this many well trained soldiers with no one else to help him. The assassin immediately called his bluff with another condescending laugh and was soon joined by his men as the whole company save those who were still recovering from Walrien's attack mocked him.

"Very well have it your way then." The man said resignedly as if he didn't wish to fight the young man. "But I will not allow you to fight my entire company I would hate to see the blood of such a brave man spilled so carelessly. I will make a deal with you; if you can defeat my Pokémon then we will leave you in peace and not return. You have my word, however if I win our contest then you will surrender your Pokémon to the care of the Overlord and will return to stay with us in his majesties palace, in the dungeons of course but in the house of your king none the less." Seeing that he had dug himself in to far William accepted the wager and prepared for battle. With a lazy flick of his wrist The Fire Snake released his Pokémon, a particularly deadly looking Forretress.

"Walrien use Ice Beam!" William commanded. The great creature let loose a beam of cold air that froze the water vapor in the air around it shooting a harpoon of ice straight at the enemy. Forretress was largely undamaged as the attack bounced of its hard shell.

"Forretress Rapid Spin!" Countered the assassin, and his Pokémon closed what small holes its shell had contained and adopted a direct path as it sped like a top towards Walrien who was far too slow to dodge such an attack. Having not been able to make a move to avoid the wrecking ball like attack Walrien took the full force of the blow and slid back several yard on the ice that was forming on the street from Walrien's earlier Hydro Pump attack. This gave William an idea and he slowly started to form a plan.

"Walrien, use Hydro Pump on the street!" Alex commanded. The large Pokémon was confused but complied with is demands. Within seconds the entire street was covered in a thin layer of water several inches thick. "Now use Ice Beam to freeze the water!" The maneuver worked perfectly and the street turned into a slick ice rink. By this point William had long since realized that there was not a chance he would be set free regardless of the outcome of this battle and he had just found what he was looking for, a distraction. "Use Blizzard! Make it a big one!" William screamed over the cries of the soldier who could not keep their balance and were falling all over themselves trying to get to him having realized his plan a moment too late.

As the winds picked up from Walrien's attack William returned the Pokémon in a flash of red light and fled the scene before The Red Snake could grab hold of the situation and chase after him. This was far from over but he could do more for his town if he was captured or killed. He would continue to fight but first he needed to get away from the overwhelming force that would put his plans for revenge to rest with force, but this was not the end he told himself this was war.

His travel backpack filled with supplies was waiting for him at his home and he grabbed it with a pang of sadness to have to abandon the place he had called home for the past five years. After one look around to see if anyone was coming and to make sure he was not being followed he fled into the dark towards the mountains and eventually Celestic Town the first stop on his journey to the unknown.

A warning to the prophet, the liar, the honest  
This is war  
Oh, to the leader, the pariah, the victim, the messiah  
This is war

This Is War-30 Seconds To Mars


	3. Chapter 3: One Day

Chapter 3: One Day

It was a normal Saturday night and as such Kyogre's Rage, Celestic Town's only bar, was packed as usual. Though it was not yet ten o'clock the usual patrons were all there and drinking in full force. The town always gathered like this at the end of another week of hard work in the nearby Eis Forrest working long days to produce enough lumber for the Overlord's demands and to sell for their own survival. It was a hard life that turned men into mindless working machines that had nothing to turn to but the drink even so life went on.

This was the scene that Izamina Tessman, or Izzy as she preferred to be called, witnessed nearly every day as bartender of Kyogre's Rage, the drinking away of problems by men and women who had nothing else in their lives. It depressed her to think that for some this was all they had ever known and would ever know. She wished that there was some way that she could put an end to the suffering of her fellow towns' people but there she was all out of ideas, so instead she eased their pain serving as their escort to a better place. A place where they could forget their troubles for a time and let loose and break free from the blanket of depression and weariness that consumed the town if only for one night of the week.

The good mood that pervaded the bar was not destined to last. A cold wind swept in from the outside and four men entered. They were all wearing long black cloaks with the familiar four point star insignia of Overlord Sharakor imprinted on the fronts. No sooner had the door closed than the mood of the bar turned instantly from one of good cheer and comradely to one of hostility to the new unwelcome visitors. Izzy greeted them with a forced smile in an attempt to cut the palpable tension that filled the room.

"How are you tonight gentlemen?" She asked holding in the contempt she felt for them and all other servants of Sharakor. "What can I get for you?"

"We are not here to drink." The tallest of the four said curtly. "Please ignore us and return to your business we are merely here to get out of the cold for awhile." The troop retired to a table in the corner of the bar and sat down somehow at least acting oblivious to the murderous stares that followed their every move. Though they did not stay long their presence was all that was needed to ruin an otherwise joyful night.

As she counted the tip money she had made that night Izzy shock with rage at the sudden appearance of the guards in her town. Where ever Sharakor's minions went trouble was soon to follow, a lesson she had learned personally the day they had taken her parents away a day she would never forget.

Izzy's parents were historians and were always looking for new information on the way of ancient civilizations so when the news reached them that Snowpoint City was rebuilding the ruined temple in the center of the city they were ecstatic. The temple was said to hold many secrets of the past and they immediately wrote to the curator a man named William Landry. He wrote back telling them that once the temple was finished they would be welcome to come and visit.

Izzy couldn't remember her parent ever being happier than the day they read that letter and they had immediately written back that they would like to contribute to the library with some old books they found in the basement of an abandoned house. Most of the books were in an old language that the two could not decipher no matter what the hours they poured into them. It seemed that the only things they learned from books were from two pictures they contained. Both were of large intimidating Pokémon that where unknown and unlisted on any register they could find. The first was pink Pokémon that stood on two legs and whose shoulders were adorned by large gemstones. Underneath this drawing was the name Palkia. The second named Dialga stood on four legs and had a blue coat with silver spikes running down its back. Like Palkia, Dialga had a jewel imbedded in its chest surrounded by a natural chest plate.

The duo appeared to be important as their names were mentioned frequently along with other repeated words such as Arceus and Giratina though who or what those word referred to was unknown.

Her parent's optimism was crushed the day that William had written them back telling them that he was not interested in their information and that they should not visit the temple. Soon after that a troop of Guardsmen much like the one that had entered the bar tonight showed up and her Izzy's parents were dragged away with her, a fifteen year old girl at the time, struggling against the owner of the Kyogre's Rage Neil Silverstone to get to them and fight away their captors. But the man had held onto her tightly despite her protests and regardless of how much she flailed to get free.

The kind man had offered her his house to stay in and later she had become bartender at his bar. Though she had not been quick to accept his offer, initially she was angry with him for not letting her go after her parents and ran into the woods surrounding the town to follow them. Predictably she ended up lost and scared until she met a Seedot roaming around the woods. A practical joker he snuck up on her and nearly gave her a heart attack before assisting her back to town. Three years and two evolutions later and Shiftry was her favorite and most loyal Pokémon.

The pain of remembering all of this was too much for Izzy and she knew that she could not allow such tragedy to happen again, she didn't understand why and hated the idea of fighting, all she ever wanted for the world was peace, but she knew something had to be done. The appearance of Guardsmen in quiet Celestic Town was no coincidence, there was something that was about to happen and she could not sit by idly and watch it happen. Her light green eyes flashing with intensity Izzy began to plan out her attack.

An hour later she stood outside of The Lazy Snorlax, the only inn in town, with a rock in her hand. Though she was sorry for the damage she would do to the window she knew the benefits of her actions were worth one pane of glass. Mustering all the strength she could she hurled the rock through the window of the room she knew the guards would be staying in. As she had planned within minutes they had stormed outside looking for the culprit who had dared to threaten a member of the Overlord's finest.

Izzy allowed the group to get a look at her before taking off into a sprint in the direction of the forest where her knowledge of the land could separate the group. The plan worked to perfection as they took off running after her like wolves after prey. She ran to the edge of the woods and after a look backwards to make sure they were still following her entered the dense wall of trees. Immediately after being swallowed by the darkness she held up her hands and was lifted into the trees by Shiftry. Izzy watched as the Guards entered the woods and were subsequently separated from each other by the darkness and dense foliage. From her canopy view Izzy followed the leader, the man whom she had briefly talked to earlier that night, from above on the back of Shiftry. As he stumbled through struggling to continue she led him through the woods to a spot she had predetermined by dropping rocks and rattling branches to draw him in. Her plan concluded when the ground beneath his feet collapsed underneath him and he fell into a pit in the ground. The pit was deep and filled with poison tipped spears upon which the unfortunate man was impaled. One down she thought as she left to find the rest of his troop.

Izzy was stalking the next guard bidding her time and nudging him slowly towards his death like his leader when he took an unexpected turn. Confused she looked in the direction he was headed, instead of seeing another guard as she expected a lone figure dressed in clothes meant for those who traversed the mountains was slowly dragging his way through the forest. The guard obviously thought that this man was the one he was chasing and drew a nasty looking sword from a hidden sheath. Knowing there was not much time Izzy latched onto the nearest tree and whispered instructions to Shiftry.

"Take out the guard! Use Razor Leaf!" She said urgently. Shiftry raised its hand and the leaves on nearby trees became still their edges instantly becoming sharp as a thousand knives. With a snap of its fingers the leaves shot down and cut the guard hundreds of times and he gave one long scream before falling to the ground dead.

The scream alerted the man who looked around confused and almost fell over when Izzy swooped down towards him and landed beside him in a small clearing of trees where he had stop to take a rest.

"Who are you?" She asked still not sure if he was friend or foe.

"My name is William. I have come here from—"

"Not important." She said cutting him off. She scanned the trees and saw that the two remaining guards were closing in on their position faster than she would have thought possible. "Do you have any Pokémon that can fight?"

"Yes I have my Glaceon. Why do you ask..." He trailed off as the two guards came into his sightline and stood next to her the two taking up a defensive position. Instead of drawing swords as their comrade had so foolishly done these guards released a pair of Mighteyena.

"Well look who we have here." The first guard said with a sneer. "Mr. Landry so nice to meet you again. You gave us quite the slip in Snowpoint but you should have known you can't outrun the guard." William simply grimaced and released his Glaceon as Izamina did the same returning her Shiftry in exchange for an umbreon who slid into position next to Glaceon ready to fight.

"Glaceon use Icy Wind!"

"Umbreon, Faint Attack!" The attacks worked better than expected as Umbreon disappeared at the exact second a freezing wind swept through the woods knocking one of the charging Mighteyena back towards its master. The other jumped toward the spot Umbreon had until recently occupied and paid for its misjudgment with a crash into a nearby tree. Immediately after Umbreon appeared behind it and with a powerful kick sent the beast sprawling. Glaceon released yet another blast of wind towards its companion freezing it solid where it stood. Seeing this as an opportunity Izzy returned her Umbreon and released Shiftry once again Motioning for William to return Glaceon. After he complied she mounted Shiftry and pulled William on beside her. Shiftry made one mighty leap and jumped back up into the trees speeding away from the battle scene and towards the north and Hearthrome city.

Far behind and below them the guards had discovered their other partner and leader. They looked at each other and the one who had spoke to William and Izamina pulled a communicator not unlike the one used by their assassin leader out of his cloak and pushed a button on the side. His superior answered and he made his report. Somehow he knew that this was far from over and silently wondered if the next time that would be him in the pit or on the ground bleeding from a thousand cuts. His thoughts turned to the family he had abandoned all those years ago. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he turned to the other guard and motioned that they should return to the town and the two set off in silence.

All my life I've been waiting for  
I've been praying for  
For the people to say  
That we don't wanna fight no more  
They'll be no more wars

And our children will play

One Day-Matisyahu

Thanks to _**Korona Karyuudo**_ for submitting Izzy.


	4. Chapter 4: Father's Son

Chapter 4: Father's Son

Alex was on the run again. His latest high jinks had been met with a particularly nasty reaction by the Royal Guards, but then he supposed he probably deserved as much and regardless it was what he was aiming for. Ever since his father left him and his mother thirteen years ago to go off and join the ranks of the Guard, leaving her to take care of her five year old son alone, he had been causing general chaos and mayhem around the town for the filth to deal with. Most of his crimes were minor such as holding up traffic by using his electric Pokémon and extensive electrical knowledge learned from watching the electricians that came to work on the magnet train when he was younger to interfere with traffic signals or changing words on the numerous digital billboards that adorned the sides of building everywhere in Goldenrod City where he lived.

However for his latest prank he went directly to the source, the guards Headquarters in the abandoned radio tower. Using his father's last gift to him, A Magnemite at the time and now a powerful Magneton, he sent out a large burst of magnetic energy directed solely at their building as not to disrupt any of the privately owned businesses in the area. The sudden pulse of energy was more than enough to short out every electronical unit in its target, but he had run into a snag in the getaway portion of his carefully planned prank. One too many of these pranks set the Guards on edge and they had posted a watch for anybody acting strangely and he with his equipment hooked up to a Magneton defiantly fit the bill. So just before he set his plan in motion someone, looking out of one of the numerous windows presumably, raised the alarm and a troop was already out of the door by the time the blackout occurred.

Now as he raced through the streets knocking over carts owned by peddler selling merchandize and food of all sorts he wondered if his time had finally come. Inside he'd known that this day was coming, there was no way he could have remained hidden forever, eventually the guards would grow weary of his constant disruptions and take action to stop him. In retrospect this last venture was probably doomed to failure as he knew the guards were beginning to piece together the string of vandalisms but he didn't know just how much they knew.

There was no helping it he thought he would have to gather his things from his house in the abandoned train station and flee town. His thoughts briefly turned to his mother but Alex knew she would be fine, after she got over his departure she would probably be better off even, with one less mouth to feed.

Moments later Alex was headed down a narrow ally when at the end a Honchkrow appeared in front of him blocking the path. He knew this particular Honchkrow belonged to the head of the local guard force, a cruel man named Neil Gordan. Alex released his second oldest Pokémon.

"Go Jolteon! Use Pin Missile." He commanded. Spines flew from Jolteon's ridged back and hit the enemy directly in face. Honchkrow reeled from the attack giving Alex all the room he needed to slip past and around the corner where he disappeared into the crowd of morning traffic on the large city's sidewalks.

Shaking as he walked Alex was scared for the first time since he had started his run of practical jokes years ago. The Honchkrow in the ally belonged to none other than the head of the guard in Goldenrod City, Neil Gordan. If the chief himself was on the hunt for him then this was much more serious than he thought initially. He had been stupid to try something so brazenly disrespectful; Alex only hoped that they wouldn't get to his home before he did.

After walking around the city taking every back route and shortcut he knew Alex arrived at his home but instantly knew he was too late. The front of the abandoned train house that served as his and his mother's house was surrounded by what looked like every guard in the city. Alex snuck around the back to get a better view of what was going on by looking in a high up window.

The scene in front of him was no a heartening one to say the least. Inside his mother was arguing with Neil and he could see her growing frantic. The chief guardsman seemed to be questioning her and Alex hoped that she would just let them search the place and then they would be on their way. Alas this was not to be and Alex watched his mother begin to argue with the man wishing that he had some way to tell her to hold her tongue and just give them what they wanted. Alex knew he could not just sit back and watch this spectacle so he began to form a plan in the back of his mind.

He would use Magneton to short out the lights like he had back at the headquarters then he would sneak in through the back door while the guards were distracted then he and his mother would flee the city. In his head Alex thought everything would work out after all and grabbed Magneton's Pokeball to release it and start the first phase of his simplistic plan, and then everything went wrong.

Talk had turned even more towards the worse inside and Neil released his Honchkrow. Alex's mother's Shinx stood in front of the large bird dwarfed but ready to fight none the less. Honchkrow swept the small dog like Pokémon aside with ease and advanced on Alex's mother. With one sweep of its mighty wing a dark blade appeared and went straight through Allysa Cheval without leaving a single mark on her body but the moment would never leave Alex's thoughts. Rage burned within him as he saw her dead body crash to the floor limp and lifeless.

Releasing his Electivire Alex burst in through the back door no longer thinking of self preservation, only destroying all those responsible for this heinous deed. He picked his first target and Electivire unleashed a bone shattering Thunder Punch to Honchkrow that sent it flying into its master and into a wall instantly shattering the man's spine. Not willing to quit just yet Alex released the rest of his party to unleash an electrical storm unlike any that the town had ever seen. His Pokémon were everywhere fighting human and Pokémon such was his anger that Alex cared little what the target was as long as it was responsible he would destroy it.

His Manetric and Jolteon were darting through the ranks of guards unleashing quick concentrated bursts of electricity while simultaneously crashing into any Pokémon that dared to challenge them. Magneton hovered above the battle shooting powerful arcs of blue lightning into the ranks of slowly advancing guardsmen. Electivire stood still like an unmovable mountain of electrical current landing devastating punch after punch sending many Pokémon to an early departure from this world. Alex himself had picked up the sword from the fallen body of the late Neil Gordan and was fighting off several guards. However even in his enraged state Alex knew he could not keep this up and as a final coup de grace for the fallen and a parting shot at those still fighting his Voltorb unleashed a powerful Self-Destruct That covered his exit as he returned his party and fled the building.

As he was leaving Alex kicked a Pokeball that he recognized as the one his mother had kept her only Pokémon in. Running back through the wreckage he found the Shinx who had been knocked cold by Hounchcrow's Wing Attack. Alex grabbed him and holding the small Pokémon under his arm ran from the building. Not bothering to look back Alex ran through the city tears forming in his eyes for the first time since his father left. Today he had witnessed the last thing in his life that he cared about, outside of his Pokémon, ripped away from him. The empire had taken both of his parents from him and he had nowhere left to turn. Alex sat down just outside of the city by the edge of a lake and cried.

He sat there for hours thinking about his father in the limited time he'd known him. The memories were cloudy and distant, but they were there. From his father he had learned his first swordplay moves, even if because he was only a small child when Arthur Cheval had joined the guard he could not learn much the seed was planted. It was from those training sessions that Alex's interest in sword fighting had sprung from and over the years he grew into a fairly experienced fighter.

Though he supposed that his father would be the enemy now. Surely the damage he had caused to the guard would not be ignored, Alex knew that he was a hunted man now and he also knew that if he wanted to have any chance at all at survival then he would have to come up with a plan.

Alex briefly considered settling down in a quiet town and hiding out but knew that this would be a mistake. Eventually he would be found and who knew if he would be in any condition to fight of any attackers. He couldn't afford to settle down not with the Overlords forces after him. After much deliberating thought Alex decided that the best course of action would be to find his father and let him know of his former wife's death.

So with this goal in mind Alex set off towards the last place he knew his father had been to, Olivine City a coastal city that was the training grounds for new guards. It would be a long journey but Alex thought he could handle it and besides it wasn't as if he was welcome back in Goldenrod.

Arthur Cheval was distraught with grief. Not only had he lost his commander and one of his oldest friends to the fugitives they had chased outside of Celestic Town but now he had recently received even more depressing news. His only son and former wife had died in Goldenrod in an explosion that had occurred as a result of a battle his son was having with the local guards. The story he was given said that Alex had assaulted a guard who chased him back to the abandoned train house that they had been using as a home.

The reported stated there had been an altercation that had ended with Alex detonating several large homemade bombs that destroyed the building killing everyone inside.

Arthur knew immediately that this report was nothing more than a cover up. He had written too many such stories to not recognize it. What had actually happen would likely remain a mystery but he knew that there was more to this than what was printed on this document in front of him.

For the second time in as many days he questioned his loyalty to the Overlord. The only reason he joined the guard in the first place was protection for his family that he had promised to the families of all new recruits. However like so many other things in this corrupt system this had been a lie. Not only had the empire failed to provide his family with any sort of assistance, evidenced by their housing situation but now they had failed to keep them safe. The more he thought the angrier he became. This had to end he could no longer fight for a cause that would allow this kind of evil to happen. This was too personal for Arthur and he began to plan his escape.

The one hand throws the whiskey, and the other throws the gun  
As he cries out to the heavens  
I am not my father's son

Father's Son-3 Doors Down


	5. Chapter 5: The Way I Am

Chapter 5: The Way I Am

Shin Lozano woke up the same way he did every day, by cleaning. He worked for his grandpa in a musty old hotel in celadon city that no one ever visited. He often wondered why his grandfather kept the place open in the first place but never got more than a grunt and an order to get back to his cleaning out of the old man. This morning had been particularly hectic as his grandfather had awoken him earlier than usual muttering something about an important visitor. Though it seemed like a big deal to the owner Shin found that for him the new arrival meant nothing but cleaning out the bathrooms and lobby for the thousandth time.

Grumbling to himself about the futility of cleaning rooms that were never used Shin made his way down the long hallway where all the guest rooms were located. As he prepared to open the door to the first one he was surprised to find that it was locked. This could only mean that there was a visitor, but who would want to stay here and when had he arrived?

Curious but too busy to worry about the no name visitor Shin continued on with his chores for the rest of the morning without another thought to the guest. After a quick lunch he went back upstairs to his own room to rest up before a night of partying. Parties were increasingly hard to come by these days what with the Overlord taxing the residents of Celadon City unjustly because of their decision to remove the casino that had been there for the longest time. The casino had not belonged to the Overlord directly but it was a well-known fact that he had his foot in the back door of its operations and drew a sizable profit from its business. So the city managed to organize itself for the small rebellion of removing the place from the town. Surprisingly they met no resistance as if the Overlord did not wish to have it known that he was using gambling as a means of profit.

It seemed odd to Shin that a man that would resort to Murder and extortion would have a moral dilemma with running a casino but then again who was he to discern the motives of a madman. Regardless the removal of the casino had caused the Overlord to raise taxes on everything in the town, from food to clothing thus reducing a once prosperous town of happy people to a downtrodden mess of those who barely managed to get by. Shin and his grandfather never had a problem with food as the elder of the two grew his own so all the money from the Hotel could be put into taxes. This left Shin with nothing for himself but he didn't mind as long as he had his Pokémon.

As he dressed for the party Shin pondered again the nature of the visitor. He must be quiet because he had not heard a sound coming from the room he was staying in and they shared a rather thing wall. Either that or he left early in the morning and had not returned yet. But what would a stranger do all day in Celadon City? Shin pushed these thought out of his head and concentrated on dressing himself excited for the night's events.

An hour later Shin was walking down one of the main streets of Celadon wearing his trademark forest green long sleeved button up shirt and knee length dark brown cargo shorts. He liked to think the outfit made him look good but in a way that clearly stated he was there to party. A breeze swept down the street whipping up the bottom of his shirt that he kept untucked; the blast of wind ended rather quickly and had come from an exact angle leading Shin to believe that it was not naturally caused. Naturally curious he rounded the corner to find two Guards members standing in front of a group of small children.

"In the name of the great Sharakor gracious Overlord of Pantera we his royal subjects find you guilty of breaking the curfew he himself set down for your protection." The first of the two stated with a cruel smile. "Now what do you have to say for yourselves?"

The group looked up at their tormenter with horror on their faces too scared to say a word. Eventually one of them stepped to the front and made eye contact with the bully. He was a tall lanky boy that could not have been more than ten years old. When he spoke it was in a shaky voice that did nothing to hide the fear that seemed to seep from the pores of the children.

"W-We were just going down the street to my house sir."

"Why did you find it necessary to do this, hmm, are you sure you weren't about to vandalize property of the overlord?" The guard asked knowing full well that these children were harmless but still intent on punishing them for a crime they did not commit.

"No, no sir! We just wanted to get to my house so we could get our Pokémon!" The boy said. "Please don't hurt us!" He cried pleading now with the guard for a bit of compassion.

"A damn lie!" The guard spat. "You will all be punished for your crimes against the empire!" With this last statement he released a Sandslash from the Pokeball he was carrying. The creature approached the children with its sharp claws raised menacingly. The guard had a glint in his eye and Shin knew that he had to intervene or these children would not live to see the morning.

"Hey now there is no need for that." Shin said from behind the children. He stepped into view as the guards looked around confused. "I think we can handle this quite peacefully if we all just give it a chance." He said stalling while he came up with a plan. While he loved to fight this guard was obviously just a deranged as his master and fighting a crazy man was never advisable. However he thought he didn't really have a choice either he fought or he and the children he chose to protect would all die. With a sigh he drew a Pokeball and released his first Pokémon.

"Go Tangela" Shin shouted full of the energy he was always filled with heightened by the thrill of a battle. "Let's show this bully that he picked the wrong street to start his bullshit on."

"A weed! I'm being challenged by a weed!" The guard said with laughter. Standing across from his fierce looking Sandslash was a purple grass Pokémon that resembled a ball of purple tree moss. Standing no more than three feet in height the guard seemed to have the right to be skeptical of his opponents fighting prowess but Shin was not worried.

Though his smaller Pokémon may seem outmatched he knew better than to think that this would be an easy match for his opponent. Many times he had pulled through with the help of his hardy if stringy purple friend.

"Tangela use Leach Seed!" Shin said as bright green seeds shot from Tangela's center and stuck themselves in-between the spines on Sandslash's back. Shooting out tendrils the seeds dug under the ground Pokémon's hard shell and started to rain its energy. Every so often the seeds would shoot out a green ball of energy that Tangela absorbed gaining Sandslash's energy.

"Sandslash ignore those things and use Slash!" The guard yelled still confident that this battle would end soon. The attack landed true and one of Tangela's many purple tentacles fell to the ground. The lichen Pokémon however did not look ever fazed as the wound closed up quickly and the limb was replaced. "But how?" The guard said incredulously.

"Tangela use Vine Whip" Shin commanded and his Pokémon shot out vines from its body sending its foe flying back down the street. Suddenly Tangela was blindsided as Shin found out what had created the blast of wind that attracted him to the scene in the first place. Flying around above all of their heads a Golbat swooped down and took a shot at Tangela. It was Tangela's turn to go flying as the surprise attack knocked it back several yards.

"Again I have to make up for your inadequacies." The second guard, who had said nothing to this point, spit out with distaste. "Very well I shall end this pathetic affair."

Shin knew he was in trouble, the battle with Sandslash had not been particularly difficult but it had drained his Tangela of some energy, and that combined with the surprise attack made it look rather weak at the moment. He silently cursed himself for only bringing one Pokémon with him, though to be honest he had not foreseen that something like this would happen. Gritting his teeth he knew that there was a very distinct possibility that he may lose this fight, and with that in mind he signaled to the children behind him to run.

"Get out of here!" He urged. His raised voiced spurred the children into motion and they ran away back down the street the way Shin had come. Turning his attention back towards the battle Shin saw that Golbat had abandoned the fight to chase the children. After a quick order Tangela grabbed the bat Pokémon with a vine and threw it against the ground in front of Shin. Golbat recovered quickly and once more faced off against the purple grass Pokémon.

"Golbat Wing Attack now!" Wings struck Tangela with immense force heavily damaging him. Now that he was backed up against the wall Shin decided that it was time to pull out his last chance though if it did not work then he would be sunk.

"Tangela use Ancient Power!" he yelled with more confidence than he really had. The grass Pokémon however concentrated and without missing a beat raised several piles of small rocks into the air. As if pulled by a magnetic field the rocks formed together to create a sizable ball of stone which Tangela hurled at the over sized bat in front of him. With a resounding thud the attack scored a direct hit to a very surprised Golbat. The second guard returned his Pokémon and began to draw his sword but was stopped by a vine that wrapped around him wrist.

Then the arm began to glow a bright white followed by the rest of Tangela's body. In seconds a Tangrowth was sitting where Tangela had previously and it did not look happy. Now over twice the size Tangrowth cut an imposing figure and the guards turned and fled the scene. Shin could only look up at his newly evolved Pokémon in amazement and gave him a smile before returning him to his Pokeball and returning home himself.

The next day Shin was awoken much earlier than usual by a noise coming from the next room. He quickly got dressed and left to go investigate and found the new tenant in the hallway very upset with his grandfather whom he was in a heated argument. The new visitor was a boy maybe a year younger than Shin and he wore a long sleeved black shirt under a short sleeved blue jacket. His pants were a pair of dark grey jeans that looked as if they were brand new other than a few burn marks.

"Why are there Guards at my front door?" His grandfather was saying.

"How should I know? I just got here yesterday why don't you ask this guy?" The young man said pointing to Shin.

"How dare you accuse my grandson?" His grandfather yelled.

"Actually Grandpa this one may be my fault." Shin confessed. "There was an incident last night…"

"An Incident!" He shouted surprised and taken aback. After Shin was done explaining the young man nodded and spoke.

"We need to get you out of here. Normally I wouldn't trust you but any enemy of the Overlord is a friend of mine. Names Kennith by the way call me Ken" He said briefly. There was a commotion on the stairs as a platoon of guards, led by the guards shin had met the previous night, charged up and upon spotting Shin charged. "Time to go." Ken said and pulled Shin into his room as he released his Charizard. Dragging Shin onto the dragon the two took off through the newly created hole in the wall both courtesy of Charizard.

Cause I am, whatever you say I am  
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?  
In the paper, the news every day I am

I don't know it's just the way I am

The Way I Am-Eminem

Thanks to **the Red King** for _Shin Lozano_

**Authors's Note**

I have been sick for a while so that explain why I have not posted in forever. From here on out expect posts every Monday and Friday.


	6. Chapter 6: Kristy Are You Doing Okay?

Chapter 6: Kristy Are You Doing Okay?

Working for Devon Corporation was an exhausting but rewarding job. This thought was running through Eric Bryant's mind as he made his way home on the crowded streets of Saffron City. He quickly left behind the towering skyscrapers of the business section where he worked as he reached the halfway point of the daily commute. The large buildings melted away and were replaced by the familiar small houses of the city's residential area. It was in this suburban cookie cutter neighborhood that Eric called his home. He lived with his younger sister who was only fifteen years old. He being three years older and a skilled engineer provided for them both with his job at Devon Corp.

Their parents had disappeared before Eric was able to remember but he was told that it was right around the time his sister Adelaide was born. They were dropped off at a foster home in Vermillion City that had been their home until Eric turned fifteen and was released from the their care, Adelaide had choose to go with him rather than stay with those she thought were strangers so they headed off to Saffron to make a new life for themselves after living for a time on the streets of Vermillion. Things had not gone smoothly to say the least but they were doing alright now and Addie as she liked to be called starting to recover from her incident now.

When he walked in the door his sister got up from the table where she was reading the daily paper and gave him a smile and a hug. The two were close, a bond that had grown from living on the streets with only each other for support and comfort. After going back to his room to change out of his white long-sleeved shirt that his company required Eric put on his more usual attire of a green t-shirt he normally wore under a tan jacket. Attached to his black pants was his Pokeball bearing belt that rarely if ever left his side. After getting dressed he returned to the kitchen where Addie was still sitting waiting for him.

"How was work?" She asked which was unusual for her. Most of the time she didn't ask about his job because she knew she wouldn't understand it. Eric had been blessed with the innate ability to understand higher level math without much instruction which is what got him his job, Kristy however had inherited different skills. She was strikingly beautiful with long brown hair that cascaded down her back all the way to her waist, her eyes were a sparkling green color but they were hard and cold with the look of someone who has seen too much of the world. Her body was well toned and tanned from long hours in sparring sessions with his Eric and his group of fighting Pokémon.

Fighting was the one thing that the two shared above anything else. It was the only way they had survived on the streets of Saffron. The area that they lived in now was a quiet suburb a far cry from the brutal slums that they had been forced to live in before Eric's job. The slums were a reminder of a past filled with grief and pain especially for Kristina.

"Work was actually rather boring today.' He replied flattery disappointed because he was telling the truth, it had been rather dull. "Mostly just paperwork and all that. Anyway what do you want?" He asked knowingly.

"Fine you caught me." She said knowing she had no chance at convincing him otherwise. "Do we have any extra money?"

"I believe so, what do you need it for?" Eric questioned hopeful that she had finally made some friends.

"I'm going out to watch a battle with some friends that I made at school." She replied with a smile. Eric was overjoyed at this news and was quick to give her the money she wanted and before he knew it he was by himself in the small house. Eric enjoyed the night of quiet and solitude and spent most of the time training with his Pokémon.

His focus today was training a rather lax Mankey. He caught the monkey Pokémon sneaking around his house one night looking for food and was so impressed by its ingenuity that he had kept it to train. However though it was a clever fighter most of the time Mankey preferred to sit around instead of training and the conditioning practices were always a strain on Eric's patience.

Hours later Addie came home looking happier than she had in years. She thanked him and went back to her room with Eric watching as she went with a smile on his face. This was the first time she had made a friend since the days of the orphanage, the last time she had been happy.

Things had not gone well for them in the years immediately after leaving, especially not her. They were constantly scavenging for food and second guessing whether or not she should just go back. Eric would plead with her to go back but her response had always been the same—she wanted to be with him regardless of where that was. Financial problems had gotten so bad that Eric was forced to go to loan sharks in order to get money for food. But as those things are want to do this turned out to be a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life. When it came time for the money he borrowed to be repaid he could not pay the debt and that is when they struck.

The Royal Guard was in charge of nearly all policing of Pantera and if playing the role of bounty hunter was necessary then they would do it. They came for them late at night. Eric and Addie were asleep in a back alley that had become their sleeping grounds over the past year when a platoon of guards surrounded them kicking Eric awake and tying him and Addie up. What he saw next would remain with Eric until the day he died. Addie was stripped down, her clothes torn to pieces, and violated by the guards in every way imaginable. Her cries of pain and terror eventually turning to sobs of despair as she was traded back and forth between the mob like a piece of meat at dinner table. After they were through the only guard that had not participated turned to Eric with a look of disgust and told him words that burned into his subconscious, rising every so often to torment him and cause him many sleepless nights. "What has happened here disgusts me but not as much as you. Your sister has paid for your debt with her innocence, I am sorry that this had to happen. Remember this next time you borrow money you cannot repay, remember that there are consequences for your actions and sometimes it is not only you that will suffer from them." His words were harsh but unlike those of any guard Eric had ever met. They were not needlessly demeaning or degrading, instead they sounded like they came from a man tired of the world and its evils, a strange occurrence for a member of the Guard.

When they were sure that guards were gone Eric turned to his sister who had gone into a state of shock and was simply sitting on the ground curled up in a ball like a small animal in a thunderstorm. He made an attempt to communicate with her but his efforts were in vain as she either couldn't or wouldn't do anything except eat and sleep. After a week she finally snapped out of her almost coma-like state and the two decided to leave Vermillion City and all of its horrors behind them so they flew to Saffron City far to the south.

Thinking back on these times made Eric cringe but he supposed that though he would never forget those memories they were in the past now and they had to learn from them and never repeat the mistakes he had made. With a sigh he retired to his bed for the night hoping to be bothered not by ghosts of the past.

A crash woke Eric followed by the pounding of feet. He jumped out of his bed grabbing his bet with all of his Pokeballs from his dresser and ran into the hall. A group of large men dressed head to toe in black night suits were storming into their house through a broken window in the back. He heard Adelaide scream and immediately crashed through her door to find her being dragged out the window by several of the men. Realizing what was happening Eric nearly lost his mind to panic. After a second he regained himself and pinned the last man left in the room to the wall.

"Who are you? Who do you work for?" He screamed as loud as his lungs would allow at the same time he slammed the man's head into the wall."

"She was a traitor to the Empire and must be dealt with" Was all the man said before Eric threw him to the ground. Eric was not a huge man but he was well defined and strong from years of training with his Fighting Pokémon. He vowed that he would find these guards and that they would not get away with this twice.

Eric was running through the countryside with only one goal in his head—to find these murderous bastards and wipe them from existence. He would unleash a holy hell of justice upon each and every one of their heads until they begged for mercy. But just as they had not quit when his sister had begged and pleaded neither would he relent in his attack.

These were the thoughts that pushed him onward through on his journey to find Adelaide's captors. Eric having followed the sound of their running through the deserted streets of Saffron had tracked them down to this small forest about a mile outside the city. Why they were coming here he did not know, he didn't even care that it was probably a trap that he was about to walk into.

Kennith sat in to bushes outside of a Guard camp hidden from view. Next to him Shin was crouched for the moment though the older boy seemed unable to keep himself still for much time. After fleeing Celadon City the two had set up camp here to hid out and lay low. To their disappointment this platoon of guards had decided to move in not hours ago though they seemed to have no interest in the two.

"What should we do?" Shin asked perhaps a bit louder than was pertinent. Luckily none of the Guards heard him and the worst he received was a disapproving look from Ken.

'First of all keep your voice down!" Ken scolded in a whispered voice. "I think that we need to wait for a bit and scout them out before we do anything. They may not even be here us, let's just lay low like the original plan."

Shin seemed content with this plan and they quietly watched and observed the group. By Ken's count there were only six or seven guards and of that only three of them had any Pokeball that were visible. In the center of the tent there was a tent that was several guards were standing watch over while the others finished setting up camp. On the other side of the camp two guards were erecting an ominous structure that looked like a makeshift gallows. Suddenly something clicked in Ken's mind and he immediately knew where they were. These woods were known as Hangman's Woods and it was here that it was rumored that the empire held trials and executed those deemed to be traitors. From inside the tent a girl maybe a year younger than himself was dragged out. Even though a black bag covered her face it was plainly apparent that she was beautiful and Ken felt a pang of anger and sadness as she was dragged to the deadly contraption. Her executors tied her hands and uncovered the bag. On her face she wore a look of stoicism and her eyes held not terror but only a blank stare. The leader of the group looked at her and read her the charges.

"You miss Adelaide Bryant are charged with one count of treason and as such have been sentenced to death. Yesterday at 7:30 you were reported by an undercover agent you believed to be your friend who notified us of your traitorous intents. Have you any last words?" He recited.

Her only response was to spit in his face and turn away from the group. Beside him Shin had heard these words and seemed to have come to the same revelation as Ken had moments before. He leaned over and frantically whispered to Ken.

"They're going to kill her! We have to stop them!"

"I know, I know." He responded calculating "But if we act now they will just kill her on the spot. Just trust me on this one I have a plan." After the two had discussed Kens plan for a moment Ken left to get into position.

At this point Adelaide was on the platform and a noose was being lowered over her head. Unable to hold back anymore silent tears flowed freely from her face. What happened next happened extremely quickly taking the guards completely by surprise. The executioner dropped the door but just as the noose was about to tighten around Adelaide's neck to cut off her air supply and crush her windpipe a Razor sharp flurry of leaves shot from the trees above and sliced through the rope. She fell to the ground unharmed just a blast of fire exploded from the brush followed by a very angry Charizard burst from the greenery spewing fire down upon the guards. To add to the Chaos Eric came hurtling in with his Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan their feet and fists flying. With cover support from Shin and his grass army from the protection of the trees the battle did not last long. Only one of the guards had time to release his Pokémon, a lone Mighteyena. The wolf was quickly beaten to a pulp by the furious fists of Hitmonchan with Hitmonlee dealing the final blow that sent the overmatched Pokémon sprawling next to his master.

Eric was confused. He had meant to take on the guards alone but instead had received help from two strangers that appeared to have been hiding in the woods. But none of this mattered to him now; he rushed to the spot where his sister lay on the grass rope still around her neck but loose and more comical that threatening. She gave him a smile as he helped her to her feet and he knew in that instance that everything was going to be ok. Exhausted from fighting and his journey he collapsed on to the ground among the charred and battered corpses of the would be execution squad.

There's a moment in time  
And it's stuck in my mind  
Way back, when we were just kids  
Cause your eyes told the tale  
Of an act of betrayal  
I knew that somebody did

The Offspring-Kristy are you Doing Okay?

I was going to have Adelaide die as CallofDuty 1944 originally intended as the reason for Eric to fight but I think that Eric has suffered enough at the hands of the empire and honestly if she dies this would have been a bit pointless. Thought? Post them in the reviews


	7. Chapter 7: Would you Be Impressed?

Chapter 7: Would You Be Impressed?

Haloti Nakamura was a very pleased man at the moment. He believed that his next bit of mischief may very well be his crown jewel accomplishment. The young man was sitting on one of the steep cliffs overlooking the only path to his village of Fallarbor Town. The plan was laid for the next victim to his shenanigans. His plan was a very complex one that involved a great many calculations and of course the talents of his team of more than willing to comply ghost Pokémon.

This was a routine for the tan twenty year old man and had been since he was ten years old. Everyone around the town suspected him but no one could ever prove anything and since most his pranks were fairly harmless he was left to his own devices. This one would be different. Whoever the unfortunate soul was that walked into this cluster fuck of insanity would not walk out completely unharmed. It was not that Haloti, or Hal as he preferred, wanted to hurt anyone it was just that sometimes he was reckless and couldn't tell when a good time to stop was.

Soon Hal's patience was rewarded as he heard the sound of footsteps echoing from around the bend in the canyon. Preparing himself for his self perceived moment of glory Hal quickly hid him from view of the travelers and waited for the signal from his Haunter that they were in position.

Part one was started as he released a load of ash collected from the nearby Mt. Chimney, an active volcano, to rush down from a bin he had taken him hours to set up onto the heads of the newest bunch of victims. He was rewarded by angry shouts from the canyon floor. He continued on to part two or rather his Pokémon did. Now that the group below was confused from the falling ash his Pokémon sent down rays of light to create an image of another worldly plane of existence. It was this that had earned the canyon between Fallarbor Town and Fortree City the nickname Twilight Canyon and the reputation of being haunted by violent spirits.

What travelers did not know was though the path was haunted it was not by spirits of another plane but instead by a man who sought only to please himself regardless of the cost to others. It was inhabited by nothing short of a monster.

Hal prepared to unleash the last phase of his plan the phase that would grant this particular visit to his twilight zone the designation of being the greatest prank he would ever pull. Just as he was about to have his Pokémon unleash an ominous wind attack of such fury that it would fill the entire canyon with the screams of the dead and shatter the courage of those below he saw the familiar uniform of Royal Guards.

While Hal was willing to risk being caught by your average traveler pulling off one of his elaborate pranks the same could not be said of being discovered by a patrol of guards. If they were to find him he would be taken prisoner and brought to the prison facility at the base of Dragon's Reach.

Hal had heard the horrors stories that awaited those who entered the infamous facility and they were enough to cause him pause. Without more than a seconds hesitation Hal returned his Pokémon to their balls and took off at a sprint back to the relative safety of the town leaving the scene of his folly behind.

Hal sat in his house with the curtains drawn staying a quiet as he could not daring to make a sound least he be found. The guards from the canyon had escaped from his illusion and they were anything but happy. Currently they were rounding up the whole town and gathering them in the center fountain courtyard. Hal thought that just maybe if he could stay hidden that they would go away and leave him and his town alone.

A moment later a loud pounding on his door shattered his confidence. Slowly he made his way to the door half hoping but not expecting that the visitor who was sure to be a guard would just go away. Of course this did not happen and when the knocking happened again, harder and more persistent this time, Hal opened the door to see a Royal Guard.

"Your presence is required in the center of town." He said flatly gesturing towards a steadily growing group of people in the center of town.

Hal complied resignedly knowing that fighting would not help him and would only bring more trouble. The town center was filled with nearly all of the small town's population and many of them wore confused looks attributed to being dragged out of their houses by the foot soldiers of the Overlord. Hal saw several people that he had once known but had lost contact with years ago. He realized as he stood there exactly what he had become—a stranger in his own hometown a ghost of a person who merely existed imposing himself on a world but giving nothing back. Before he had the chance to think about it anymore the leader of this platoon of guards took the podium of a makeshift stage that had been erected for the purpose.

"I am very disappointed in the residents of this town." He began menacingly. "And if I am displeased then the Overlord is displeased. My platoon and I walked into this town thinking we would receive a warm welcome as the upholders of peace. We are the only thing standing between this world and utter and complete chaos." He yelled his voice rising in a sharp crescendo. He continued in a softer voice. "But is that the welcome we received? No, it was not! What kind of town of thankless scum treats the protectors of its peace to such a deplorable entrance?"

At this point the crowd was filled with looks of confusion and fear as the people turned to each other whispering in hushed voices that betrayed their panic.

"Silence." The leader yelled "Now I can see that this was not a team effort and therefore we will only punish the one deserving of it. Will the man or woman responsible for launching an unprovoked attack upon me and my men please step forward."

Hal knew that he should take the blame for his actions but somehow though every bit of decency he had left screamed to step out from the crowd his survival instinct won out as it always did and he remained rooted to the spot. The guards shifted uneasily as they saw the look on their leader's face turn angrier than they would have believed possible a moment before.

"Cowards! All of you!" He yelled into the crowd. "Very well I will give the perpetrator on hour to confess and if he has not come forward in that time then we will burn this town to the ground and rest assured no one will escape this blaze." He said these last words with a hint of enjoyment as if in his mind this would be a more favorable outcome.

The crowd stood still as if they were frozen where they stood. Finally a man that Hal recognized as being a local business man and more importantly stand out member of the community stepped forward and confessed to the acts. The guards tied his hand together and led him away. As Hal watched their backs retreat from the town he knew that if he let them go then it would be the end of him. He could not live with the weight of that man's life upon his head.

The crowd dispersed gradually in a general state of disbelief at the loss of a town hero. The man who took the fall for Hal was named Steve Theisman and he ran a shelter for abandoned Pokémon. He was always more than willing to help anyone in need and this earned him the admiration and respect of the whole town. This was truly a devastating loss for Fallarbor. The more Hal thought about it the angrier he became with himself—how could he just let them take the kind and caring man away?

As he walked back to his house head filled with thoughts of regret and shame Hal started to form a plan. No one knew the canyons that were the only route to Fortree and eventually Dragon's Reach, better than he did. He had spent years of his life exploring every little bit of those steep, dark bluffs. He knew every single turn, every cave, and narrow pass. Now finally there was a use for his extensive knowledge born from the preparation a thousand of pranks. Those cliffs would become a hell on earth for those who dared to threaten his town and to punish a man who had done no wrong.

Haloti had tracked the platoon of soldiers and was following closely behind them as they traversed slowly through the canyon floor. Ahead was a sharp curve as the river that used to run through this valley sloped downward into a steep descent making the path ahead rocky and difficult to manage? This was where Hal had chosen to make his move. The group of foot soldiers was traveling in a protective formation, no doubt expecting some sort of retaliatory attack while they were vulnerable in unfamiliar territory. As they rounded the corner the troop stepped into another of Hal's trademark "Twilight Zones". Immediately they stopped and released their own Pokémon, several Mighteyena and one Weezing.

The Weezing released a Cloud of smog that hide the company from view. Guided by the superior vision of the Mighteyena the Guards stumbled on quickly through the canyon escaping the first wave unscathed. Then the second part of Hal's plan commenced when a hail of rocks came down from the cliff sides and hurtled towards the cowering soldiers.

Undeterred Hal ran from his hiding spot in a cave overlooking the group. His plan was to free the prisoner and get out as fast as possible before the soldiers could spot him. /he calmly maneuvered his way to the spot where the group was entrenched. Though boulders seemed to be falling on all sides Hal knew better—he knew that the rock were only illusions caused by his team of ghost Pokémon.

Hal reached the tied up man and quickly released him of his bonds and helped him to his feet. A voice behind him caught his attention and he looked back to see the guard who had almost dragged him out of his house yelling at the others that he was releasing their prisoner. The group turned towards him and started to converge around him sealing off his escape. Suddenly a chain of explosions blasted apart the ground all around them—these were planned shadow balls calculated exactly to let him get free and escape.

Dark spheres of energy flew through the narrow pass raining shrapnel down upon the platoon. Most of the guards scattered trying to make a break for it, but they didn't go far as they were met by one of Hal's chilling team mates.

Hal and the man he had rescued returned to the cave that he had used as his starting point earlier. Steve did not appear to be hurt but did seem to have entered a state of disbelief and shock. He turned to Hal with tears in his eyes and spoke one word before passing out due to exhaustion.

"Why?"

As he sat there listening to the screams of the soldiers as they retreated vowing to never again enter these haunted bluffs, Hal thought about the old man's question. He supposed it was guilt that drove him but it seemed like much more than remorse. It seemed that Haloti Nakamura had finally grown up.

And when I woke I knew it was time to pray,  
To make amends before the end, before my judgment day.  
I looked around, I stood alone, I knew what I had to say  
I said "It's all my fault!"

Would You Be Impressed-Streetlight Manifesto


	8. Chapter 8: I Will Not Bow

Chapter 8: I Will Not Bow

The day was finally here. Today was the day that Preston Rolfe would finally see his mother again. Ten years had passed since the day that she was kidnapped by the empire—a day that lived in infamy in the seaside city of Olivine. Preston's mother once worked at the Devon research building where she worked as a bio-chemical engineer, most of her work had been directed towards creating new medicines for the company. Her only goal in her work was to help rid the world of diseases and help cure the sick, unfortunately word of the research being done had spread to Dragon's Reach and Overlord Sharakor, and being the man that he was he saw a great opportunity in this small facility and took immediate action to bring it into his possession.

The day that he had raided the facility happened to be the same day that Preston was at the facility with his father, who was also a scientist, for a "Take Your Kids to Work Day" promotion of the sciences at the company.

The tour started off normally with Preston's father showing him around the building and explaining to him the various departments and the jobs that they did. Preston remembered being distracted all day by the Pokémon he had been given—a Beldum that was his first Pokémon and his most trusted companion. His tour was nearing its end when suddenly a troop of guards burst through the front doors of the building and began yelling for everyone to get down. Scared scientist complied with the soldier's orders immediately ducking under desks and behind tables.

Preston was shoved into a closet by his father and told to be quiet no matter what happened. After what seemed like hours of sitting alone in the dark hoping that the soldiers would just go away he heard the sound of raised voices in the hallway outside of his hiding spot. Preston poked his head out to see his mother, and most of her research team, being forced out of the building at sword point. Something in his nine year old brain snapped and without a second's though Preston charged from the closet towards the guards, releasing his newly acquired Pokémon as he did so. However he was easily dispatched by the paw of a Mighteyena and sent sprawling down the hallway, not even deemed worthy of a second glance from the soldiers.

Memories of that day haunted Preston but today were the day that the Overlord had promised the captives would be released. The thought of this day had been all that had driven Preston to succeed and to keep going in life. His father had broken down after he lost his wife and was a broken shell of a once vibrant man. He was still an adequate father and Preston had never been neglected or abused, but the spark Preston remembered from when he was a kid was long gone, snuffed out by the empire's cold indifference to the rights of its people.

The time had come and Preston was standing in the center square of Olivine City with the rest of the families from whom the Overlord had taken members. A group of Guards walked onto the makeshift stage ready to address the crowd. However the prisoners where nowhere to be seen and a nervous murmur swept through the crowd already on edge due to the presence of such a great force of guards. The Head of the Guards of Olivine City, a man named Moe Devine, Took the podium and began his speech.

"I have been made aware that you are gathered here today to welcome back into your home's the participants in our gracious Overlord's scientific programs." He said making it sound as if the kidnapped scientists were there by their own choosing. "However I am here to tell you that there has been an unfortunate event that has taken place. During the course of their stay a few of our friends seem to have gotten a little rebellious. Instead of graciously accepting the offer they were given by his grace Sharakor these fools turned on him an attempted to bite the hand that feed them. I do not have all the details but it seems from these reports that the traitors attempted o pump poisonous gases into the Overlords private rooms. His Excellency foiled their plan and they were promptly executed for their crimes."

The crowd fell silent as everyone tried to process the information they had just received. Eventually someone up front asked what happened to the rest of the captives, a question that was received to laughter by the guards on either side of Moe.

"They were involved in a rather unfortunate landslide as they crossed the mountains to travel here." He said unconvincingly. "There were no survivors."

The hostility in the crowd was tangible and the guards felt it just as Preston did as they tensed up hands travelling towards their Pokeballs ready to start crowd control should things get out of hand. Fortunately the crowd realized the futility of an attack and the formation of a dangerous mob was averted. Never had Preston seen a more defeated group of people as the one that filed slowly out of the city square that day. Inside he felt the same as they did and he wanted nothing more than to breakdown in a fit of anger and lash out against every single man that was responsible for this catastrophe. However there was a side of him, the rational one he supposed, that would not allow such behavior there were contingency plans after all.

Later that day as he sat on the beach reading a particularly thought provoking novel about a fictional land called America titled 1864 Preston thought about the plan he was about to execute. It was a fairly simple one, as most effective plans were want to be, but the steps involved were fraught with risk and required the upmost timing none the less.

Ever since the day that his mother and her co-workers were taken away he and his father had spent planning for the possibility of the worst news. The plan was that if she was returned to them as was promised by the fickle Overlord then they would do nothing, but if she were hurt in any way that they would make every guard in the city feel her pain.

The Devon Corp building, now a towering structure, was well equipped to handle any scientific experiment that anyone could think of and as such certain safety measures had been put in place. One such safety measure was that the whole building could at a moment's notice be shut down completely and airproofed should any sort of chemical that could be dangerous to the general population ever be released it could be quickly quarantined.

Also contained inside the large metallic tube like building were several biological nightmares. Unbeknownst to the Guards that patrolled the brightly lit corridors Preston and his father secretly worked with samples for days at a time culturing bacteria and breeding new viruses that could wreak unprecedented havoc should they be introduced to a host. Over the ten years they had created five different strains of super virus all of which were exceedingly vicious and would bring about a painful death.

It was he and his father's plan to introduce the guards in this city to one of the strains if the prisoners were not all returned and it seemed that unfortunately their hand was being forced and they would have to unleash their monster upon the ranks of scum that watched their every move. The only problem was how they were going to infect the guards while avoiding inflicting unnecessary harm upon the rest of the city and if this virus worked s well as they thought it did the entire land of Pantera.

The solution had seemed obvious to both of them—they would use the Devon Corp Facility to trap the Guards and seal them inside with the virus. The structure would of course have to be obliterated later to prevent the terrible plague from spreading but that was a bridge that would be crossed when they came to it.

Preston and his father stood in their laboratory; Mr. Rolfe was holding a tightly sealed glass tube with delicate hands while Preston prepared the dispersion machine for the insertion of the virus. The tube would plug into a pipe that branched into a series of smaller pipes that would deliver the fatal load to all corners of the building within 30 seconds of dispersion.

Any moment now they would plug in the device and head to the roof where they would activate the device through a remote allowing them a safe getaway on the back of Preston's Skarmory. The plan was nearing time but Preston noticed that with every second that went by his father seemed to grow a bit more anxious as if he were anticipating some dreadful tragedy.

"What's wrong?" Preston asked curiously. This was the most emotion his father had shown since the guards had stolen his wife from him.

"Promise me something." His father replied, staring at the tube of death he held before him. "Promise me that you will find her. I know they have her somewhere. Just find her."

"Mother?" Preston asked knowing full well his father believed with every bit of his heart that she was still alive held captive somewhere. "Isn't that what we are going to do when we leave here? Both of us, we'll find her."

His father gave him a quick nod and turned to the screen that showed the guards pouring into the building. Luring them to the building had been much easier than either of the two would have thought. All they had to do was tell the head of the guards that there was a new virus that was spreading here from a nearby town and the only secure place was in the Research Facility. The man desperately wanting to avoid subjecting his troops to any harm that might cause him to look bad and lead to a demotion had been quick to order every guard in the city to the building and in doing so had sealed their fates.

When the last of the lemmings had entered the building Preston turned to his father who inserted the tube into the machine and flipped a switch to arm the dispersal device. While he was readying the airborne menace Preston enter a pair of override codes and shut every door and window of the building save the roof exit. The reaction from the group of guards was immediate as they realized that they were trapped inside the building. Many attempted to break free but their attempts were all in vain as the doors were made of a titanium alloy that could stand the charge of a fully grown Rypherior.

The two men headed up the stair to the roof and prepared to exit but before Preston opened the hatch his father placed his hand on Preston's shoulder and turned him around to face him. A look of sadness was in his eyes but so was a look of relief as if a great weight had been lifted from him. In that second Preston knew what his father had done and gave him a look of horror.

"You're not coming are you?" He said in an almost resigned voice.

"No I am not. This world has no place for me this building shall be my final resting place. I have done my best to teach you all I know, just remember find her." These would be the last words that Preston would ever hear from his father as the man disappeared down the stair ready to give his life to help ensure a better life for others. Holding back tears Preston climbed out of the hatch onto the roof and sealed the door behind him locking his father inside.

As he mounted his Skarmory to fly down to the base of the tower Preston held back tears for his mother and his father. When he reached the ground he was alone in the City. Soon the crowds would come as the Biological Warfare sirens would alert the City and someone would make sense of it all. But Preston did not intend to be there when that happened.

Just before he left the town He met a man walking towards him with a sword on his belt and a Jolteon pacing next to him. He looked at Preston a moment before speaking.

"My name is Alex Cheval, I have come here seeking my Father Arthur Cheval, he was a Guard have you heard of him?"

Preston gave a small laugh and said: "If I did he's gone now." And walked past the man thoughts turned to his father's last request and heading for Dragon's Reach.

I Will Not Bow, I Will Not Break  
I Will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away

I Will Not Bow-Breaking Benjamin

Thanks to WereDragonEX for Preston Rolfe

Author's Note

I just thought I would do a Recap since there are so many characters.

Alex is now in Olivine looking for his Father and has meet Preston.

Kennith and Shin are in Azul Forest with Adelaide and Eric.

Arthur is In a Guard base of unknown location at the moment planning his escape from the service.

And William and Izzy are currently headed toward Hearthrome after their incident outside of Celestic Town


	9. Chapter 9: You're Gonna Go Far Kid

Chapter 9: You're Gonna Go Far Kid

Dragon's Reach. This is a name that inspires fear into the hearts of the bravest of men in Pantera. A place that few enter and fewer leave in the same state they entered, if at all. It is a fortress complete with towering walls and buttresses that watch over the desolate mountain top on which the black obelisk of a building stands. Fierce winds and snow have carved out deep groves in the thick stone walls with razor sharp edges that make scaling the structure a madman's task. This monument is the ultimate symbol of Pantera. A symbol of the oppression, despair, and fear that rules supreme over the land.

A man and a woman stood, bound by chains connected to their wrists and ankles, upright against a dungeon wall. The dungeon was a damp, dark, and cold room with the only light coming from a window far above. Standing in this window were two figures, a tall man with broad shoulders wearing intricate armor reminiscent of that of ancient samurai warriors. Next to him stood a girl of no more than seven who looked down at the scene in front of her shaking and crying with fear.

Below the woman looked up to the girl and gave her a small smile while the man simply stared at the ground. The couple had the look of prisoners that had all but given up, their clothes and dirty malnourished bodies betrayed the time they had spent in similar places and the look in their eyes lacked any traces of hope. The look in the woman's eyes turned from one of caring to one of pure hatred as she turned her gaze from the girl to the man standing beside her. He gave her a look that she could not make out due to the light behind him throwing a shadow over his features, but she was sure it was one of contempt.

The couple had arrived in dragon's reach years earlier as debtors. Unable to pay the heavy taxes imposed upon them by the Overlord, they were forced to work in the fortress as slaves. The girl standing next to the Overlord in the window was their only child who was stripped from their care the second they arrived as further payment. For years they worked their Pokémon and only child taken away but still they survived with one secret, and it was for this that they found themselves in their current predicament.

"You have knowingly withheld property of mine from me." The tall man said in a loud booming voice. "When I graciously accepted you into my home as workers instead of imprisoning you in the facility at the base of this mighty mountain I gave you one rule. I said you would relinquish all of your belongings to me, but you did not do so did you?"

The couple continued to ignore him as if he did not exist and stared at the ground instead, looking for the entire world like they were simply bored.

"Where is your last Pokémon?" Overlord Sharakor thundered anger seeping into his voice. "I know you have it now tell me WHERE IS IT!" When he received no response he calmed himself and continued. "Very well you leave me no choice."

Raising a hand he gave a signal and grates opened along the walls. The grates, circular and around four feet in diameter released streams of water that flowed down all around the room filling it slowly but surely. As the waters rose the prisoners struggled to free themselves from their bonds but did not call out for either mercy or help. The girl next to Sharakor attempted to run away from the horrible sight but he held her fast and forced her to watch. When the spectacle was over he let out a laugh and left the room leaving the little girl to stand shocked into motionlessness rooted to the spot.

When the door closed and she was sure he was gone she opened her mouth and released what she had been holding in, a scream and a white and red ball. The Pokémon her parents had died to protect.

8 Years Later

Life as a maid was a tough life but Chloe Fujiaki managed to get by. She had been working all of her life and knew little else so the work was never a problem though she supposed it helped when you could get anything you wanted with a lie and a smile. Chloe was one of the Overlord's personal maids and at 15 years old already a sneaky girl. Sneaking away from duties and getting extra rations was never a problem, something she could thank her con artist abilities developed from necessity at being orphaned at seven years old.

Over the years she had gotten her way more often than not through a means of well placed compliments and manipulation and the things and freedoms from these endeavors were all well and good but they were not what Chloe was most proud of. What she was most proud of was that she had managed to raise a team of Pokémon despite the ban on workers even owning the creatures. Getting her team had been the hardest part, for each one she spent hours planning just when to steal it from the Overlords chamber. He often received Pokémon as gifts from wealthy men throughout Pantera as a measure of gaining his favor and these were the Pokémon that Chloe targeted most often. They were after all usually her favorite type, Dragon.

Now armed with her team she planned to escape this prison and find a better life elsewhere where she could hide from the Overlord and never be subject to his arbitrary rulings again. As she walked down the hallway towards her room she saw something that surprised her. In front of her door a group of guards stood talking and looking the other way. Thinking quickly she ducked behind the frame of another door her small frame allowing her to hide all but the long dark hair that flowed past her shoulders. One of the guards noticed her movement and they started down the hall way in her direction. Chloe dashed out of her hiding place and looked back to see the guard in the front holding her belt and all six of her Pokeballs on it. She knew she was in trouble now and just wanted to get out of the fortress. She would rather die alone in the cold than suffer the same end as her parents.

She raced through the halls, the best routes burned into her memory from long days and nights spent meticulously cleaning them. She raced up the stairs that led to the highest tower of the castle fortress where she planned to make her final move. However when she reached the top she found not an open window leading to what little freedom she had left but a room full of guards. Her last thought before the world went black was that she would never get the chance to feel the fresh air of the outside air.

Arthur Cheval stood outside of the execution room, or grate room as it was sometimes called, awaiting the next victim with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. This was a day for which he had prepared for weeks. Today Chloe Fujiaki was to be executed for the posse ion and theft of Pokémon both crimes for those enslaved in the castle and both punishable by death.

He had not done execution duty for years but when he heard about this case he knew that he had to take it, the opportunity was too great for him not to. This would however be a tricky operation as she presented a unique challenge. His thought were interrupted as they brought her in, shackles on her wrist and ankles dressed in the same rags and bearing the same expression they had worn when they had entered this very room. The guards accompanying her left and Left him to his job. Next to him on a table was her belt complete with her Pokémon and a simple knife.

Chloe stood in front of him a defiant look on her face and he knew that he did not have long to execute his plan.

"I understand that these Pokémon belong to you." He said in an official manner.

"Yes, they do." She said flatly

"And you realize that this is a crime punishable by death." He asked as the conversation reached a critical juncture. Depending on her answer he would make his decision on whether to spare her or not. "Yet you stole and raised these creatures anyway? Why would you do such a thing? What use do you have for these creatures?"

"I don't expect you to understand. You guards are all the same. You treat Pokémon and humans alike like disposable objects just tossing us aside when we break. Those 'creatures' are my friends and given the chance I would gladly do what I did again." She finished this in a defiant voice and looked at the floor apparently a sign that she was done talking.

"Very well you have sealed your fate." Arthur said as he stepped forward and unlocked her shackles.

Chloe couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the metal binders fall from her wrists and ankles. She could not even begin to comprehend what had just happened. There she was one moment convinced that she was about to die in the same room where she was forced to witness the drowning of her parents nearly a decade ago and now someone she had seconds before considered her enemy was standing in front of her holding her belt out to her in one hand and using his other one to strip off his guard robes. Taking a good look at the man she realized he was near his mid forties but fit like all of the guards. Underneath the robes he was wearing tight black clothing that looked rather warm. Now completely out of his robes she saw that he was offering her a similar set of clothes to what he was wearing. She quickly changed still quite confused but strangely trusting of this man.

"We have to go." He said, leading the way to a door on the other side of the room that she had not noticed before. "When you don't show for your execution they will come looking for us."

"Where are we going." She asked struggling to keep up with the tall man. "And who are you? Why are you helping me?"

"We are leaving this place." He said opening the door and starting down a path that led a winding path away from the holding cell. "My name is Arthur Cheval and I'm helping you because it's the only thing worth doing here."

Chloe was confused by the man's explanation but decided that her savior's motives were not worth questioning especially when they were attempting to escape the head quarters of the Royal Guard.

"This path will lead us to the edge of a steep mountain path." He continued obviously reciting from a plan he had formed already. "But we can't take it, its slow going and there's no way we could get down before the full force of Sharakor's army gets to us. That means we have to fly, you have a Pokémon that can fly don't you?" He asked looking mildly concerned for the first time as if this was the only detail he had not considered.

"Of course I do." She said "I have my—"Her final words were cut off as the pounding of boots came from behind them. Taking off at a run the duo ran through the tunnel at a breakneck pace no longer attempting to be stealthy. After what seemed like an eternity Arthur came to the door and flung it open to let in a rush of cold wind that chilled Chloe to the bone. As he released a Staraptor and mounted it Chloe did the same for her Flygon, her first Pokémon, and took off into the unknown following the strange guard that had turned out to be the best friend she ever had after only minutes of knowing her. They soared over the top of the mountain and she felt the rush of fresh air buffet her and screamed in exhilaration.

Show me how to lie  
You're getting better all the time  
And turning all against the one  
Is an art that's hard to teach  
Another clever word  
Sets off an unsuspecting herd  
And as you get back into line  
A mob jumps to their feet

You're Gonna Go Far Kid-The Offspring

**Authors Note**

I am sorry that this is updated late I have just been slammed with work for school and well work so I haven't had as much time to write but the good news is that I already have the next chapter laid out so it will be next Monday or earlier. Also just a note for anyone keeping count that is two Offspring songs but I had to use it, it was too perfect. Also I need to thank x3JunsuLuver for Chloe's character


	10. Chapter 10: Linoleum

Chapter 10: Linoleum

Lavaridge Town was on fire. Chaos ruled as the royal guard ran through the streets wrecking havoc and bringing misery wherever they walked. Though smoke rose in billows over the small village one man slept undisturbed, seemingly deaf to the cries of his fellow town people. He was not an evil man nor was he an uncaring man, he simply an oblivious man; the cries of Lavaridge fell upon deaf ears as he slept in his cottage just outside the boundaries of the village.

Eventually the thick smoke found its way under the door to his humble cottage of stone, and crept toward his prone, sleeping form like a sinister fog. The sudden shock of a nostril full of smoke woke the man instantly though he did not seem alarmed by it. Rather Jackson Perrin felt confused, while it was true that the dormant volcano nearby would on rare occasion billow smoke never before had it poured into the valley in which Lavaridge town was located before. Still groggy Jackson walked to his window and looked out over the town.

The view that met his eyes was not that which he had become accustomed to over his five years in the small village; instead of seeing a bustling of people going about their morning routines like gears in a clock he saw nothing but fire and smoke. Immediately awakened by such a horrendous sight he immediate dressed himself in his usual garb of an Ursaring pelt coat, matching pants and Sharpedo skin boots and set off at a sprint down the hill his cottage rested on towards the village below.

A rather rude welcome greeted him in the form of a rather large member of the Royal guard at the entrance to the village. Brandishing a long spear and flanked by a pair of Houndoom he looked menacingly at Jackson and called out to him in a gruff voice.

"You there, state your business!" He commanded lowering the spear as if preparing himself for a fight. Though Jackson knew that he could easily take care of this man with the skills learned from living in the mountains for years, he had forgotten his Pokeballs on his desk at home, and without them he fared little chance against the beasts emitting flame laced snarls in his direction. So in light of this development he opted to take the easier more diplomatic route.

"My name is Jackson Perrin; I live in that house on the ridge over there." He said non confrontational as possible, while pointing towards his cottage. The guard let out a laugh and lowered his spear. After gesturing to the guard dogs to stand down he turned towards Jackson and spoke again, this time adopting a rather mocking voice.

"Oh, I am so sorry sir!" he said feigning apology. "I am sorry to have questioned the king of the mountains! How dare I!"

"What did you just call me?" Jackson asked, confused and more than a little angry at this man's blatant disrespect for him. "And for what reason are you terrorizing this village?" He shouted these last words over the crash of a nearby house as the fires consumed it.

"This village was found to be harboring secrets from his Excellency." The guard stated flatly and in a tone that strongly suggested there was more to the explanation than he was letting on. "Now leave before we decide that useless mountain men are a threat as well." These last words were joined with growls from the pair of Houndooms and Jackson knew that it was time for him to leave. Turning back towards his home he vowed to find out what was going on down there even if it meant dirtying his hands a bit.

Jackson stood at the base of the volcano that Lavaridge had become famous for the feeling of regret weighing on him deeply. As he began to scale the steep incline he thought of all the things he could have done to prevent the tragedy that had occurred. He had arrived in the small town five years before a week after his 45th birthday as an outcast from the guard. Immediately the townsfolk sensed that there was something off about him and though they had not shunned him they had treated him with an air of general distrust. This hadn't bothered him at the time; without the added responsibilities of social interaction Jackson had much more time to practice his favorite hobbies of hiking and wilderness survival with his trusted team of ground specialist Pokémon.

He was a rather large man, standing at around six and a half feet with wide shoulders and a heavily muscled body toned from days of climbing the mountains around Lavaridge and trekking through the various canyons they were riddled with. He brushed away his long dark hair as he paused on a ledge a quarter up the mountain side to look over the ruins of the village. This was a favorite spot of his when he needed to think, made all that much better by the long head-clearing journey needed to reach it.

As he gazed down into the smoldering debris he couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened. Sure the guards were the ones who should shoulder most of the blame but was he not a former member of the famed Pillars of Earth? Was it not their mission to challenge tyranny wherever they may be? To him it made no difference that the resistance had disbanded years before after their leader and good friend of Jackson—Dwayne Jordan—had died in a skirmish with a platoon of guards. The way that Jackson saw things he was bound to the pledge he had made to end Sharakor's reign until it became no longer relevant—the day the bastard was six feet deep.

It was then and there where he decided that he would not rest until these people were brought to justice, but he knew that he couldn't take this group on alone and would need help from someone in the town. Unfortunately this is where his plan hit a wall, what he needed was a cause to rally these people to. They would obviously be upset, but he doubted that they had enough rage left in their downtrodden bodies to muster any kind of revolt. So Jackson needed to create a more immediate cause than the death of the all controlling godlike figure the overlord had been turned into by legend.

As Jackson made his way into the village he was shocked and angered by the extent of damage that the guards had caused; everywhere he looked he saw the remains of the peaceful village burnt to the ground, treasured possessions littering the streets as the townsfolk wandered about in states of obvious confusion and dismay. Many lay dead and covered in burns while still others tended to their wounds like as many scared animals after a brush fire. The sight was enough to make Jackson's blood boil and his fury grew with each step as he headed toward the center of the village where many of the inhabitant were massing if only to try and bring comfort to one another.

Jackson stormed to the center of the huddled grievers and jumped up onto the wooden stage built for public announcements for the village. The stage was in surprisingly good condition, it must have been used by the guards to have avoided the scorching the rest of the town endured, but small which left him with little room to walk stand, but it was better than nothing. He yelled as loud as he could and when he had got the group's attention he began to speak.

"People of Lavaridge I came here to apologize to you" He started garnering interest from the crowd who seemed perplexed but intrigued. "I came to apologize to you for not being here when the guards attacked. I came to tell you that as a former member of The Pillars of Earth that I should have protected this place from the evils of Sharakor." He paused as the crowd grew silent, and all chattered ceased at the name of the notorious rebel group. "However after seeing what you do in the light of this heinous crime I will not apologize. I will not apologize for failing to defend a town so cowardly that it won't even stand up for its self! When I look around I see no barricades, no fallen guards, and no sign of a struggle. Was no man brave enough to fight? Did no man value his friends and family more than himself? And what has that wrought you? I'll tell you what; burnt homes, broken family, and black memories. I intend on going after these bastards and I will not quit until every one of them is wiped from the face of Pantera, and I will do it alone if need be. However if anyone in this pathetic village has the courage to stand with me let him meet me at the southern gate in an hour."

With one last disgusted glance Jackson walked away looking for all the world like a man who could not stand his surrounding; however, inside he was pleased. The town seemed to have taken offense to his words and he hoped that the feeling of disgust he felt upon surveying the town that had lain down to the guards would infect some of its members and they would join him.

As promised an hour later Jackson stood at the southern gate, standing in front of him was a handful of men. The gate was simple stone construction that made an archway over the dirt road that lead from the mountains into the town. None of the men standing before him looked like they would be of much use in a real fight, though he had expected as much being that they were all farmers or miners. Lavaridge had never faced a threat before and so there was simply no need for anyone to learn to fight. Jackson had the men release their Pokémon; they were all relatively weak creatures that served primarily as companions to their masters unlike the Houndoom and Mighteyena he knew the guards would employ. However one of the trainers did stand out from the rest. He was a boy of no more than eighteen. He was not large but was tall and well toned from whatever job it was that he did around the village.

"You" Jackson said pointing to the boy. "What is your name?" The boy straitened up and looked at him with an unwavering gaze and said.

"My name is Neil. Neil Hezlitt." Neil answered

"You and your Pokémon may stay." Jackson replied gesturing to the Shiftry Neil was flanked by. "The rest of you may return to your homes, I have no need for your services."

When the rest of the group had cleared out Jackson approached Neil and started to speak with him.

"Now what we have to do will not be easy, you understand that don't you?" The boy nodded that he did so Jackson continued with his speech. "That looks like a full platoon of guards that came through here which would put their numbers somewhere around fifteen or so. They will be highly trained in the art of fighting and their Pokémon are all extremely dangerous. Fighting them head on will be nothing short of suicide."

"What!" Neil exclaimed "Then why did you send all of them home? They could have helped!"

"They would just be in the way." Jackson said dismissively. The boy in front of him looked confused and Jackson started to doubt his earlier decision to bring the boy with him on this venture. "Now listen up because I'm only going to say this once. I've spent more time in battle than you have living, and I will not have my decisions questioned by you! Am I understood?" Neil shook his head yes, that Jackson's message had been loud and clear, and stood back a little shocked, but also with more respect in his eyes for the older man. "Good now that you understand where I'm coming from here is our plan…"

Several hours later Jackson sat perched on a ledge overlooking Jagged Pass, the base of another active volcano. The pass was less of a gap between mountains so much as it was merely a portion where the incline dipped below eighty degrees. Rockslides were a common occurrence and travel through it was not advised except for the most experienced of hikers. The platoon of guards were slowly making their way down the steep slopes, clearly struggling with the rigors of the journey, so far unaware that they were being followed closely by Jackson and Neil.

Jackson's plan was simple; Neil would, with the help of his nimble Shiftry and a life spent navigating the treacherous slopes, distract the guards while Jackson and his troop of ground Pokémon caused a large rockslide that would crush the guards beneath. It was an old favorite from his days as a member of the Pillars of Earth; they had won so many battles in this fashion that the Overlord had been hesitant to send any of his troops anywhere near the mountainous regions where they made their stronghold.

Neil sprang into actions as Jackson gave him the silent signal and began to harass the platoon. Jumping between the numerous boulders that stood like golems he hurled rocks, sticks, and whatever else he could get his hands on at the guards. He was careful never to stay in one place for too long as to keep the guards confused. His Shiftry began to unleash a barrage of grass attacks that cut down many of the soldiers before they knew what hit them. Gradually they began to understand what was happening and formed a tight battle formation looking for their mysterious foe.

This was what Jackson had been hoping for. With a nod to his team of ground type specialists he unleashed a massive landside down upon the defenseless platoon who was still searching for their mystery assailant. The entire platoon was crushed almost simultaneously under several tons of ruble—these men would harass the good people of Lavaridge no more.

Feeling confident that everything had gone just as planned Jackson signaled for Neil to join him on his perch. However while the boy was climbing up to join him disaster struck. Too late Jackson saw the blast that took young Neil's life. He tried to cry out for the boy to duck but it was too late, he was already consumed in a pillar of fire and his Shiftry with him. Looking around Jackson quickly saw the man responsible—The Fire Snake. His Houndoom already returned to its ball he was fleeing down the mountain towards his Honchkrow mount and by the time Jackson could react he was flying far away from his reaches.

Jackson Perrin felt then the rage that had fueled his all those years ago when he and the others had formed the Pillars of Earth and he vowed in that moment to finish what he started and destroy Sharakor before he or his minions could do anything like this ever again.

Song: Linoleum-NOFX/ Streetlight Manifesto (Cover)

Possessions never meant anything to me  
I'm not crazy  
Well that's not true, I've got a bed, and a guitar  
And a dog named Bob who pisses on my floor  
That's right, I've got a floor  
So what, so what, so what?


	11. Chapter 11: Extraordinary Girl

Chapter 11: Extraordinary Girl

Lillycove City stood as a shinning beacon in the otherwise gloomy world of Pantera. With its lights and constant bustle it could be seen from far away, but not all was what it seemed in the heavenly city. While its reputation on the outside was one of a paradise those living within its boundaries knew differently. The truth was that Lillycove was the home of perhaps Sharakor's biggest evil.

The Lillycove Coliseum was an impressive structure; its high rising stands could hold several hundred thousand and its walls reached high above the already impressive skyline. Made of steel, its walls pristine, clean look betrayed the horrors that it housed. Inside this deathtrap was the way of life for many citizens. Fights were held in the arena regularly between humans and Pokémon alike. Many betted all the money that they had that their champion would prove to be the winner. For a while they would be successful but like every gambler eventually they would lose. And losing a bet on a coliseum match meant losing your freedom and if your debt was high enough the freedom of your family. Hundreds of people were ensnared by this trap every day, yet they were inevitably replaced the next by a new surge of those who believed they had the secret to beat the system.

Beyond the horrors of the gambling machine were the participants themselves. Many turned to the ring because it was their only choice; other did it to gain the fame that came with victory, and still others fought to seek an honorable escape from the hell they lived in.

One of these battlers was what was occupying Alicia Lloyd's attention at the moment. His name was Tidus Lyons and he was a sort of prodigy. When it came to the average battler the normal lifespan was around three to four battles before they were defeated, and the ring had no sympathy for those who lost. Tidus however had won over ten battles and held the record for most straight victories for anyone younger than twenty, at fourteen. He was not a large man nor was he even old enough to be considered a man; only fifteen years old he was easily the youngest battler to ever step foot into one of the rings. His dark hair fell into his eyes as Alicia began to wrap a bandage on to his arm, sealing up the site of his latest wound. As she worked she began her usually tirade.

"I don't care how good you are, no one lasts in these things Mr. Lyons." She said pleading with him. "Please quit, you can join me and work in the hospital." She said gesturing to the small building that passed as the medical center for wounded battlers.

"Alicia, you know I can't do that." The boy said to the redheaded girl in front of him. She was no older than he, but they both had maturity beyond their years, born of seeing death everywhere around them. "I already told you I would quit if I could, but Red Lucy is making far too much money off of me to let me quit now."

Red Lucy was the name of the woman who, under orders from Sharakor, ran the battle facility. Her cruelty was well documented, indeed her name stemming from her pension for seeing blood spilled in her arena. She was also in charge of scheduling the fights and taking wagers. In short she ran Lillycove and nothing was done without her knowledge.

"She did say she would let you go if you won fifteen battles right?" The small girl asked hopefully.

"Yeah, she did." Tidus responded offhandedly, wincing as she tightened up his bandage. "The match is in two days. Will you be there?" Alicia appeared taken aback, while the two had grown into quite close friends over the past two years he had never asked her to be at one of his matches. He knew that she hated the battles, so if he wanted her there it must mean a lot to him.

"I'll be there." She said with a sigh. "But only this one time." Alicia finished up her work and moved on to the next patient leaving Tidus to get his rest; after all there were many in need of help and only a few doctors and nurses.

When she left that day Alicia couldn't help but feel happy knowing that with one more battle Tidus would be free from the violence that was his life. She had no idea how right she was.

Red Lucy sat alone in her office at the top of the coliseum pondering the issue of Tidus Lyons. It was indeed protocol that after fifteen victories a battler be released from his obligations in the ring, but rarely did one want to do so. And the more battles he won the more money she made off of him. He was different though, never seeming to enjoy the fights like the majority of the successful fighters; he only seemed to participate for the money.

After much deliberation she decided that if it was to be his last fight then he would be useful to her one last time. With all the money stacked on him by the betters he was the overwhelming favorite. She would have to make sure this last battle was one he couldn't win…

Alicia made her way through the crowded streets of Lillycove on the day of the fight with a feeling of exhilaration. After on more fight her friend would finally be free! She had traded her usual blue hospital scrubs for a blue sweater and a pair of loose fitting jeans. As she walked towards the monolith she couldn't help but notice that the streets were packed full of people chattering excitedly about the upcoming match and how they couldn't wait for the violence that was sure to insue. She felt disgusted by this talk but said nothing.

When she finally got into the stadium and found her seat it was almost time for tidus' match to start. Red Lucy was already standing in the press booth, her face magnified on the large screens positioned all around the ring. She addressed the roaring crowd explaining the match.

"Welcome to the coliseum! Home of the brave, where the strong survive and the weak are judged in the purist way!" She shouted bringing the crowd into frenzy. " Today we have atreat for you! Lillycove's own Tidus Lyons will face of with the scourge of Pantera, the one the only Fire Snake!" The crowd erupted as the combatants walked out into the ring. Tidus towered several feet above the diminutive man but the crowd knew better than to overlook him. Know as the Overlord's personal servant he was exceptionally skilled and his pokemon were said to be matched only by those of Sharakor himself.

Tidus took his place on one edge of the circular battle field a short sword held in one hand and a Pokeball in the other. Opposite him the Fire Snake took his place but drew no weapon his hands hidden by the long red ropes that covered all butt his head beside him a ferocious Houndoom paced. Tidus released his Pokemon, a sharp witted Scyther that had won a fair amount of battles for the duo using its lightning quick reflexes and impressive smarts. Once again Red Lucy's head appeared on the megatron and he cruel voice eminated from speakers placed all around the coliseum.

"This will be a fight to the death!" She announced with a murderous glint in her eyes. At the sound of those words both Tidus and Alicia looked too shocked to move. Rarely did fights end in death, inside the ring at least. "Fighters make ready, and fight!"

Tidus still seemed to be in shock over the announcement that one of the participants would not leave alive. And if he was in shock Alicia was in full on panic. She despratly hoped against hope that he would survie this match, she had been so happy when he had told her was to be released after the fight, but she hadn't realized it would have to end like this!

The man called the Fire Snake however seemed as calm as ever and sent two dagers hurtling towards Tidus before the Boy even knew what had happened. Luckily for him His Scyther was not as easily intimidated and deflected the attack with a couple swipes of his blade like arms. Tidus pulled himself out of his stupor just in time to see a fireball hurtling after him. Rolling to avoid the flames he never saw the third dagger coming until it was buried in his neck. Blood pouring from his wound he struggled to his feet only to see his beloved friend and partner scyther cut down by a vicious flamethrower attack. As his world went black the only thing he could think about was Alicia and how close he had come to being free to be with her.

Up in the press booth Red Lucy smiled an evil smile. Everything had gone exactly as planned; the money made today might even be enough to convince the overlord to let her establish coliseums all over Pantera. She smiled again at this thought, and that is when she was hit with thousands of gallons of water. The smile would be the last she ever made as she drowned in the torrent.

The moment that Tidus fell Alicia felt something snap within her; she no longer cared about her own wellbeing, her only concern was putting an end to the monster responsible. She had never heard of the Fire Snake and only knew he was a competitor and for that she could not fault him. Instead she targeted her rage upon the cause of all death in Lillycove—Red Lucy. Before any of the guards could stop her she released her Pelliper and flew towards the press booth as fast as she could. Once with in range she jumped ontop of the steel and glass structure and opened the trapdoor that served as the only entrance or exit. Without a moments hesitation she returned her pelliper and brought forth her favorite and oldest pokemon—Milotic. With an apologetic look she commanded Milotic to release a devastating Torrent of water through the opening and slammed close the door sealing the door on Red Lucy's skybox watery grave.

After the deed was done and even when the guards had come and taken her Pokemon away dragging her along with them she cried. She cried for Tidus and she cried not for Red Lucy, for her she felt no pity, but for the acts she had committed upon another human. All the emotions she had kept hidden for so many years came out even as she was chained and put in a cell for transport.

Two Guards watched as their comrades put a limp figure into a transport cell and began to start towards Dragons Reach.

"So she's the one who killed Red Lucy eh." One asked

"Yeah about time someone took care of that bitch." His partner said flately "She deserves an award."

"There are no awards where she's going." The first guard said with a small chuckle.

Extraordinary Girl-Green Day

Lyrics: She's an extraordinary girl,  
In an ordinary world,  
And she can't seem to get away  
She's all alone again,  
Wiping the tears from her eyes  
Some days he feels like dying,  
She gets so sick of crying

Thanks to _**Cielo di Vaniglia **_for Alicia's Charecter


	12. Chapter 12: Your Guardian Angel

Chapter 12: Your Guardian Angel

Sunlight filtered down through the thick canopy of the Versteckt forest. Its green tinted rays illuminated the wooden walkways of Fortree City. Bridges of rope and planks of wood formed the roads of a city suspended high above the ground. Houses carved into trees were at every juncture of the roads of rope.

Fortree City was a place of peace and happiness untouched by the evils of Sharakor, hidden as it was by the great forest that surrounded it. The people of Fortree were a peaceful group; content to simply raise their bird Pokémon and harvest the fruit that was grown hydroponically in suspended gardens. However Fortree was not a perfect place; the ground below was a marshland that contained both inescapable quicksand pits and dangerous swamp Pokémon.

Kain Zbor Woke in his small tree house to the smell of the swamp below; it was a strong sulfur smell that woke him everyday like a pungent alarm clock. He looked over through his shaggy black hair to find that his little sister Josie was still asleep. It was typical of her to sleep until late afternoon; an ability he often wished he possessed. Rolling out of bed Kain thought about his training regime for the day. He would need to get Dodrio some practice running through the swamp-something he had been putting off for some time. Sighing Kain resigned him to a day of training and started to get dressed.

The disgusting stench rising from the swamp started to dissipate as the day went on, but down in the marsh the ground was still wet and spongy. Kain watched as his Dodrio sped across the top of the muck dodging between trees and jumping over sinkholes. This training was necessary so that when the time came that Kain would need to leave Fortree city and venture out of the woods Dodrio could ferry him through the thick swamp to the drier land on the outer edge of the Versteckt Forest. Though, he thought so a time seemed far off he knew his father would have wanted him to be prepared.

Kain's mother and father disappeared around three years ago on a supply run. Though the city was mostly self sufficient they did from time to time need manufactured items such as Pokeballs or Medicine. It was up to a select group of individuals to make annual runs out of their wooded home to nearby villages to trade with the merchants there. During one such trip they were attacked by bandits on their way back to the woods. Only one man, Jay Ryan, made it back barely alive. When he came around he said that the bandits were strangely well equipped and all had far stronger Pokémon than a typical raiding party.

Both of Kain's parents were among those missing and ever since that day he had been taking care of himself and his sister Josie. Now at seventeen he had gained many skills such as gardening and riding that many boys his age had not, as well as a sense of productivity towards Josie that was well known around Fortree.

Dodrio was just finishing up its last lap running through the lower branches, jumping from tree to tree, when the sounds of a struggle reached Kain's ears. He turned around and through the mist he saw the figure of a man and a large blue Pokémon fighting off a group of Quagsire. As he ran closer with Dodrio following right behind him he could see a black man dressed in mountain climbing clothes using a long stick to beat the Pokémon back. The blue Pokémon he had seen earlier turned out to be a Swampert who looked perfectly comfortable in the rancid water taking on all comers with its club like arms; scattering the Quagsire in gigantic splashed of muddy water.

Strong as they were Kain could see the pair starting to tire and decided to step in and help the combatants. He mounted Dodrio and together they stormed into the fray. The sight of Dodrio jumping over the pair of tiring fighters, claws raking, eyes bulging out of its heads, feathers flying everywhere, and beaks pecking like as many sharpened spears sent waves of terror through the Quagsire. Within seconds the horde disappeared into the marsh leaving the four alone. The man turned to face Kain still in a defensive position but lowered his makeshift weapon a little.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in Versteckt Forest?" Kain questioned still mounted on Dodrio. Looking down at the two he noticed that they were exhausted from more than their most recent bout. The man's clothes were torn and frayed and layers of dirt were visible on his dark skin. His short cut black hair was in disarray and both he and his Pokémon shared the same weary look of a traveler who has been on the road for one too many a day.

"Jackson Perrin and I was hoping to speak to the leader of this city." Jackson said gruffly pointing towards the wooden planks high above. "If I can find a way up there." He added with a chuckle.

"Why should I help you anymore than I already have?" Kain continued growing suspicious of the man. Versteckt Forest was not an inviting place and only those who wished to train in its swamps bothered entering, but even they only journeyed as far as the outer edges. This man however had trekked long to reach the city and something told Kain that whatever Jackson wanted was serious.

"Son, I'm tired and weary but one thing I will not stand for is being questioned by some little punk." The mountain man replied; his voice getting more intense with each syllable. "Now you can take me to your leaders or me and Swampert here can knock you off your pretty little birdie. What I have to say to them is of the upmost importance and I can't afford to stand around and chit chat all day." Something about the way the older man talked led Kain to believe him though he still did not completely trust the man.

"Very well, follow me." He said leading the way towards a rope ladder that was attached to one of the wooden platforms. Minutes later Kain and Jackson were walking towards the Council building.

The council was a group of five of the city's most experienced citizens and was responsible for making the decisions regarding supply runs, distributing supplies, and settling the minor disputes that arose from time to time. The members were voted upon each year though few spots ever changed as not many wanted the added responsibility. The head of the council was none other than Jay Ryan—the man who had survived the raider attack on the supply run that had killed Kain's parents. It was to him that Jackson spoke to while Kain waited just outside, determined to find out just why this man was here.

Jackson stood in front of the council waiting to plead his case. He could tell immediately that they had not had to deal with an outsider in some time if ever by the way they looked at his clothes. He was wearing his usual Ursaring hide coat, a fairly typical piece of clothing for a mountain climber. The Ursaring that the hide came from was one he had personally hunted down during his days in The Pillars of Earth. The Ursaring in question had been terrorizing a local village.

Jay stared at him for a few moments without speaking then sighed as if he knew already what Jackson wanted and was resigning himself to it. He motioned for the room to quiet down and gestured for Jackson to take the floor. Jackson complied and began to speak.

"I thank you for welcoming me into your city." He said nodding towards Ryan, who simply raised a hand to acknowledge the greeting. "My name is Jackson Perrin, and I have come here to ask for your help. Though many of you have never seen the world outside of this magnificent forest it does exist, and it needs help. I come here asking for a few good fighters to help me take back your land from the plague of Sharakor."

"Who is this Sharakor you speak of?" asked one of the young council members, clearly confused by what Jackson spoke of.

"A good point. Why should we help you fight a man who we have never heard of and has caused us no harm?" A second member piped up. Soon all of the council men, save Jay were voicing similar opinions and questioning why he would come and trouble their peaceful city. Just as it seemed that Jackson would have to quiet them Jay slammed down one of his large hands down on the table in front of him. When he stood his large frame towered above his peers on the council and his loud voice echoed throughout the hall as no one spoke a single word.

"Quiet! I will not hear such foolishness from such inexperienced fools in my court! This man has come to us with a plea for help, and you want to turn him away with insults? I will not stand for this." He turned towards Jackson and in a much more civil tone explained the situation to him. "You may have a pick of our best fighters, though I don't know how much we have to offer you, we are after all mostly farmers and inexperienced in the ways of combat. I however have seen the outside world and know you speak the truth. It is a desolate place and change is needed desperately. I salute you for your service and you are welcome to stay in Fortree for as long as it necessary." He then ordered for Kain to be sent inside.

Kain listened as Jay berated his council then agreed to help Jackson out and felt his suspicions lift a bit. If Jay thought that this man could be trusted then that was good enough for him. Ever since he had returned from the now infamous attack he had led the city with wisdom and was not known to be easily fooled.

When Kain heard his named called he was immediately curious and at the same time startled. He quickly straightened up and pretended to be fixing the ropes on the bridge closest to the gigantic trunk that the council hall was carved into. Seconds later the doors by which he had been eavesdropping opened and he was joined by one of the younger council members who told him that Jay wished to see him.

Jay stared at Kain as he entered the large hall and wondered if what he was going to do was the right thing for the boy. Surely his father would have wanted it?

"Kain, I believe you have already met Mr. Perrin." Jay said gesturing with a wave of his hand to Jackson.

"Yes, I guess you could say that." Kain responded with a smile.

"You are to show him our great city and help him with whatever he requires while he is here. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Kain said with enthusiasm excited about the prospect of meeting this outsider with whom Jay seemed to sympathize. "I'll take him right over to the guest house." But before the two departed Jay called Jackson over to him and though he couldn't make out what it was Kain saw him slip him something small. However, this was quickly forgotten as he and Jackson left the hall and Kain showed him to his living quarters.

As they walked Kain and Jackson said few words to each other each lost in his own thoughts. For Kain this was more than a job for Jay; this was something that he was interested in not only for his sake but the sake of his city and more importantly his sister. Whatever help this man wanted would surely change Fortree which worried Kain; Farming and training his Pokémon was all he knew and he wasn't sure he wanted anything else. However on the other hand he thought that his father would want him to go with this man, to help him fight in whatever way he could. His thoughts turned to Josie as they often did, but he knew she would be ok, he had taught her everything he knew about farming and she was even better than he was. As hard as it was for him to accept the truth was she didn't need him as much as had always thought.

Jackson on the other hand thought only of his mission, the boy who was walking beside him was not what he had expected. The boy's father, Jordan Zbor, had been much more than he claimed. While on his supply runs he had aided the Pillars of Earth by bringing them medicines made from plants in the forest. It was on one of these runs that he and his company had been attacked by the Royal Guard. Until Jackson had seen him not minutes before neither he nor any other members of the Pillars of Earth knew that any of them had survived. But that was only a minor detail he supposed, the important thing was that he train this boy the way his father would have wanted.

"I knew your father."Jackson stated in a flat tone unsure of how to tell exactly he should tell Kain. "He was a good man." Kain continued to walk for a few steps before freezing as if rooted to the spot.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asked bewildered.

"Your father ran supplies for me and a group called the Pillars of Earth." Jackson answered continuing in his flat stoic tone. "Told me that if anything were to happen to him that I should train you."

"Train me?" Kain asked wondering who this man really was. "What training can I get from a man who gets lost in the woods." He said dismissively.

"I suppose I deserve that. But regardless of that mistake I have many years of battle experience and survival skills. Your father entrusted me with this task and I intend to honor that."

"Why should I come with you? Tell me that." At this point the two were outside of Kain's house and Josie was standing in the doorway listening to them argue. "I have a sister to take care of and responsibilities to my city. Who else is going to make runs outside for more supplies?"

"Your sister is more than capable of taking care of herself if she is anything like you. And even if that were not the case Jay has already made sure she will be taken care of. You should come with me because it's what your father would want, it's what he died for—the protection of others and the liberation of this land." While Jackson was talking Josie quietly walked up behind Kain and put her hand on his shoulder.

"He's right Kain; daddy would want you to leave. I can take care of myself and you know Jay will never let anything happen to me." She said with a smile. Kain looked into her eyes and saw there what he already knew. Overcome by emotion he drew her into a long hug and when he let her go he had tears running down his face.

"Will you join me then?" Jackson asked unmoved by the scene in front of him.

"I guess I don't really have a choice." Kain said sighing. "I can't say no if there is nothing left for me to do here." Turning back towards Josie he took her hands and looking her in the eyes made a promise. "I will return and when I do I promise this world will be a better place."

"I know you will; now you might want to leave before your friend loses it!" She said with a laugh.

"If you're done I have something for you." Jackson said snapping Kain back to the task at hand. Held in his extended hand was the object that Jay had given him in the council hall. It was a Pokeball but instead of the normal white and red design the bottom of this ball was a bright orange giving it the appearance of a fire ball. "This was your father's; he trusted me to give it to you if anything were to happen to him. Kain took the brightly colored orb and released the Pokémon inside.

A blinding flash of light lit up Fortree City as a giant bird with flames blazing from its wings and the crown of its head appeared perched on top of Kain's house. His father's final gift to him was the legendary bird of fire—Moltres!

Your Guardian Angel- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven


	13. Chapter 13: Seven Deadly Sins

Chapter 13: Seven Deadly Sins

Smoke swirled around the room from the end of Tarrow Arcana's cigarette, twirling into intricate patterns and rising into the ever present smog that resided in the dark, foggy room. He was sitting around a round wooden table with four other men playing cards—one of his favorite pastimes.

"So ladies what are we betting today?" Tarrow asked in a loud voice to mask the sound of his Wobbuffet being released. One of the men on the other side of the large table grunted and gave him a sour look.

"One more comment like that and I'll snap your scrawny little neck." The man said quietly but with enough emotion to seem as though he would follow through with his threat. Tarrow was not afraid of the man, but as he would rather not fight if given a choice when he spoke again it was in a more civil tone.

"My apologies, sir." He replied biting back the insults he had formed in his mind. He knew that if things went badly here that he would be forced to fight his way out, and he had come to like this quiet little bar in Violet City and had no intentions of being banned. "Shall we begin?" He asked shuffling the deck. The man he had antagonized earlier seemed content with his apology and everything was going according to plan. Unnoticed in the corner was Tarrow's Wobbuffet; Tarrow motioned to it giving it signals as he dealt the cards. This was how he and his Pokémon got by in life—cheating people out of their money.

The setup was simple; he would find a bar in a small city or town such as Violet City where he would pretend to be the son of a wealthy businessman. Dressed in fine clothing he would play a few hands in which he would bet large amounts of money and lose most of it. Then once he had raised their confidence enough to bet more of their own money in an attempt to take him for all he was worth he used his Pokémon to take every last penny from his poor victims. Even as he served the cards Wobbuffet spied on his opponents from the darkness. It was this part of his plan that he thought was most interesting; since he could not be seen communicating with Wobbuffet it would instead use its limited psychic abilities to draw their cards in the smoke of his cigarette.

"Shall we play?" Tarrow asked smiling his mischievous grin at his opponents.

Three rounds latter Tarrow was walking out of the small town bar, money in his pocket, and Pokémon safely in their Pokeballs when he heard a shout from behind him.

"You there! Stop!" Tarrow looked behind him only to see the bartender standing in the doorway. "I saw what you did back there." Tarrow froze and started to reach down past his purple vest towards the black belt that held his Pokeballs. His light blonde hair was beginning to mat from the sweat that was dripping down his face. The bartender looked stern but not angry. "Now I don't want your blood on my hands, so I won't tell those guys how they lost their money to a cheat like you, not quite yet anyway. But I do have to ask that you don't come back." After he was done talking the bartender slammed the door and the sounds of the bar faded away leaving Tarrow alone in the street.

Relieved Tarrow walked down the deserted streets toward the closest city Pokecenter. Alone with his thoughts the lanky nineteen year old man considered his options; he could always move on to Goldenrod City or another large town, but he liked how quiet Violet City was. Despite having a large population one never got the sense that they were overcrowded a fact due largely in part to the sheer size of the city.

As he walked Tarrow saw a peculiar shape rise above the rest of the moderate skyline. It looked like a very old wooden tower, but it seemed to be moving like a flower swaying in the wind. He thought for a moment before realizing that this must be sprout tower! He had heard stories of rare herbs grown only within its walls and knew if he managed to get his hands on any of them he could make quite a good bit of money with them. His mind made up he entered the Pokecenter and began making preparations.

Tarrow crept around the outside of sprout tower hiding behind the large hedges as he made his way to the bridge that crossed the lake that separated the tower from the rest of the city. His purple suit replaced by black clothes and his short blonde hair hidden in a black beanie he disappeared into the night. He snuck up to the enormous and ornate doors to find that they were locked. Each door depicted the same picture—a Bellsprout with its arms wide open facing toward the inside. Tarrow saw the hole in the roof almost immediately and with skills learned from many similar ventures he scaled the wall and pulled himself through the hole using the rafters as a handhold.

Once inside he looked around to gauge his souroundings. He was in a large room that looked to be the entire bottom floor of the tower. In the center stood a pillar of strong but flexible wood that was about ten feet wide and long. In the corner next to several large valuable looking pots was a set of stairs that spiraled upwards into the darkness. As an experienced thief Tarrow knew that the hole he climbed through would not serve as a good escape route so he stopped to remove the large bolt that held the door closed.

Tarrow climbed the staircase quickly, his excitement growing with every step even as the dim light faded around him. The second floor of the tower was almost completely dark, void of all light save for a torch in a stand in what Tarrow assumed was the center of the room. Underneath the torch was a group of small grass Pokémon—Bellsprout! Huddled towards the flame as they were none of them so much as flinched when he released his Ekans.

"Go herd them over here! Then I can capture them!" Tarrow whispered to his serpentine companion, removing empty Pokeballs from his belt as he spoke. Because speed was key when robbing someone he had brought only what he could carry which in this case meant leaving all of his Pokémon save Ekans behind. While he didn't like going into a possibly hostile environment with such little protection it was the only choice he had had at the time.

Ekans slithered across the wooden floor smoothly making only the faintest sounds. Before the Bellsprout knew he was there Ekans descended upon them like a specter. Terrified the small Pokémon ran into the dark where Tarrow waited silently capturing them one at a time. Just as he clipped the last of the Pokeballs to his belt and returned his Ekans a screech came from the opposite side of the room. A red ray of light shot out of the darkness passing over Tarrow even as he ran towards where he thought the stairs were. He was too late; seconds later he heard the flap of a large pair of wings and found himself pinned to the floor by a large bird Pokémon with gigantic eyes. He could hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, then he heard a man's voice call out and he was let up. Immediately Tarrow released his Ekans and took stock of the situation.

Standing in front of him was a tall old man wearing a long dark green robe. On the front of the robe was the same Bellsprout that he'd seen on the front doors. It must be some sort of emblem he thought to himself. Standing next to the man was a large Noctowl, which must have been what had attacked him. Strangely the man looked calm as he stared at Tarrow in the dim fire light.

"Please return what you have stolen." The old man said very slowly and deliberately. "I would hate for Noctowl here to have to hurt you." The old man's voice grew sterner and Tarrow could tell he was not bluffing. Still undeterred Tarrow stood his ground.

"You and what army can harm me? Ekans use Poison Fang!" Ekans opened its mouth and launched towards Noctowl with more viciousness than could have been expected out of a creature of such small size. Noctowl dodged out of the way easily flying up into the darkness leaving Ekans below confused and vulnerable. Noctowl descended like a hawk pulling up at the last second to scoop Ekans up in its claws and throw it across the room like a ragdoll. Ekans recovered quickly and on command from Tarrow shoot caustic acid from its throat that burned Noctowl. Now enraged Noctowl speed towards Ekans with reckless abandon; Ekans tried to borrow through the wooden floor but was plucked up once again by Noctowl's mighty claws. Struggling in the large bird's viselike grip Ekans began to glow with a bright intensity. Moments latter Noctowl was forced to drop its victim as a substantially larger Arbok fell to the floor.

"That's amazing!" Tarrow said under his breath, speechless at the sight of the mighty viper and its intricate scales on the large hood surrounding its head. "Now use Crunch and lets end this fight!" The large snake bit down on one of Noctowl's legs injecting its poison and threw it across the room. Arbok slithered up behind its master hissing nastily at the old man who crouched beside his fallen Pokémon attempting to heal the wounds and cure the poison.

Tarrow didn't stick around long after that; he flew down the stairs, the sound of his blood surging through his veins making a pounding sound in his ears, knowing he had little time before the entire tower was chasing after him. He was almost to the doors when he saw something that made him stop. Standing in front of the door, her arms spread wide, was a young woman. She was around his age and had long flowing brown hair that hung over her green smock and bright green eyes that were shimmering with the water of held back tears. There was silence for a few seconds between the two before she spoke to him in a voice that contained a surprising amount of rage.

"Haven't you done enough damage here?" She screamed, no longer holding back her tears and just letting them flow down her pretty but anger distorted face. "You and your master have taken all we have with your damn taxes, and now you want our Pokémon too! What kind of monster are you?" She fell to her knees as she finished. Tarrow took one look at the sobbing girl on the floor, who clearly thought he was a member of the Royal Guard, and knew what he needed to do.

"Don't cry."He said with a rare showing of compassion. "And don't worry I'm but a humble thief, I have no love for that sick man who has brought you so low. Here I did not realize how bad things were here I will return your Pokémon and I vow to return here with more than enough of the Overlord's money to make up for his crimes." Then in one quick movement Tarrow dropped the five Pokémon he had stolen to the ground in front of her and slipped past through the doors and into the night.

Tarrow laid in his bed at the Pokecenter Contemplating his next move. He meant what he had told the girl back in Sprout Tower, and he thought he knew just how to do it. There were many Platoons of Royal Guards that collected taxes from the cities of Pantera and few of them were trained in the art of battle. One thing was for sure and that was none of them were prepared for Tarrow Arcana!


	14. Chapter 14: Call to Arms

Chapter 14: Call to Arms

Izzy's hair blew slightly in the wind as she sat next to William. They were perched in the upper branches of one of the trees outside of Hearthrome City. The skyline was beautiful; the spires and bell towers from the many churches in the city were silhouetted perfectly against the glowing evening sky. Above them the first signs of night were visible as the brightest stars were already coming into view.

"It's beautiful." Izzy said admiringly.

"I guess." William replied unenthusiastically. The duo had been traveling nonstop ever since the night they had met in the forest outside of Celestic Town. United by their hate for the Overlord and his minions they'd decided that working together was smarter than going their separate ways which, though sometimes a strain, was working out alright so far. "I just wonder how long it will stay that way."

"Oh don't worry so much!" She said waving her hand as if by that simple motion she could make the problems go away. William sighed and looked back out over the city, scanning the building for the one he was looking for. After a few moments he found it and pointed it out to Izzy.

"There. That house is where Mr. Fujiki lives." He said excitement now in his voice. Mr. Fujiki was the head of the local Pokémon fan club, but aside from running that he was also a very well versed historian. William knew that he had to speak with him if only to better understand what the Royal Guard wanted destroyed so badly back in Snowpoint.

"Well let's not sit around all night!" Izzy said as she released her Shiftry to ferry them to the ground floor.

The walk into town was a stark contrast from the dreary paths of the forest floor that had been their main path for the past week. Everywhere William looked there were people playing and laughing; children ran through the streets accompanied only by their Pokémon, and adults conversed over cups of coffee and hot chocolate. The smell of fresh Oran flowers filled the air and sure enough the trees were in full bloom; they decorated the sidewalks of Hearthrome with their open blossoms and not yet ripe berries.

Izzy seemed to be enjoying herself much more than William; every time he looked around she was staring at some building or running over to a vendor, her long orange-peach hair flowing behind her like a banner. She seemed so happy that William did not even see the need to mention that Hearthrome was not the paradise it seemed. Though it was true the people were happy here the Overlord's servants sat quietly in the background. During their walk he had spotted at least three patrols behind buildings, on top of roofs, and anywhere else it seemed they could find to keep out of plain sight.

If he were to be honest this worried William. Why would the Royal Guard hide in the shadows like a child trying not to be caught? He had never heard of this behavior before and he doubted he would have believed it if he had not seen it with him own eyes. Regardless of what the reason was it was driven from his head as he realized that they were standing in front of the Pokémon fan club official headquarters.

"Perfect." He said happy that they had not gotten lost even once. No sooner than he spoke than a ball of flames burst out of the side of the fan club, and an explosion that rattled the very cobblestones of the streets emitted from the structure. Izzy having seen the blast seconds before William threw herself at him and they both rolled down the street away from the blast zone in a mess of tangled arms and legs. When they finished disconnecting from each other William stood up and looked back at the former fan club—now only a pile of debris and ash.

Lila Landgraab woke up in her room a very excited fifteen year old girl. She combed her purple hair into its usual straight down look with her bangs hanging at an angle across her forehead. After slipping into a red and white striped mini-skirt and a white polo she grabbed her Pokéballs and ran out of her house towards the Pokémon fan club.

Today was to be Lila's first day as a full member! She couldn't wait to be able to compete in the Pokémon contests they held. She was a sucker for any even remotely cute looking Pokémon, often stopping on the streets to greet and hug the Pokémon she saw. Today however she wasn't stopping for anything; her pink shoes played a steady beat as she raced through the streets of Hearthrome, desperate to get to the fan club.

After what seemed like forever she finally arrived at the building. It was a small building that looked like a small cottage. On the side of the fan club was a sign that read "Pokéfans Welcome!" which was placed just below a red ceramic heart hung above the door. With exhilaration she swung the door open to reveal a room full of happy Pokémon and their trainers. In the back of the room sitting on a rather large purple chair was Mr. Fujiki—the head of the fan club. When he saw Lila standing in the doorway he cracked a wide smile and beckoned to her. She walked across the yellow carpet, admiring how bright yet cozy the place was. Mr. Fujiki was still smiling his bright smile when she sat down on a couch across from him.

"Lila, I'm so glad you could make it today!" He said excitement in his voice.

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything." Lila responded laughing a little as she did so.

"As you know I have decided to make you a full member of the club." He said in a more serious tone. "And as such there are responsibilities that come with that position." Lila was a bit confused by this remark; she had never heard of the club actually doing anything save staging contests and showing their unanimous love for Pokémon.

"What do you mean?" She asked befuddled by his cryptic words.

"We are much more than simply a fan club." He said pausing as if to choose his words carefully. "We are an organization that is sworn to keeping the old legends alive. Though our magnificent overlord seems to want all records of them eliminated, it is our job to strive to keep them remembered." He said these last words with such obvious distaste that Lila was startled for a moment. But the look of disgust on his face was quickly replaced by his usual good cheer.

"What legends are you talking about?" Lila asked, not sure she knew what it was she was getting herself into. She didn't know if this was really something she wanted, after all she was only fifteen! What sort of organization was this? "I don't know if I'm very suited for this—"she began, but was cut off by a wave of Mr. Fujiki's hand.

"Nonsense, of course you are. You joined this club because of your love of Pokémon, am I right?" She nodded her head still not convinced. "We here protect these legends because of what they mean to the history of our land and what they mean to our Pokémon friends. But if I am to pass these legends on to you I need your promise that you will never reveal them to the prying eyes and ears of Sharakor." Mr. Fujiki finished in a hushed voice as if he was afraid that, even in the confines of this crowded room miles from Dragon's Reach, Sharakor could hear him

Lila Thought about his proposal for a few moments before deciding that what he was saying was not all that farfetched and she was curious to hear about these legends he spoke of.

"Alright, I'll do it!" she said enthusiastically, her excitement outweighing her fears. Mr. Fujiki smiled again and handed her an old book he pulled from underneath the chair. The book was heavy and leather bound with protective metal edges that served a dual purpose of making it the most beautiful book Lila had ever seen.

"This book contains all of the legends of our land or lands as I should say." He said with a faraway look in his eyes. "I compiled these documents into one book through years of research and now I am entrusting it to you. Be careful with it, the information inside is very valuable and if Sharakor knew of its existence I'm sure he would stop at nothing to see it destroyed." Lila held the book reverently and very carefully put it into the messenger bag she always carried with her.

Something black flashed by the window and a look of terror and anger shot into Mr. Fujiki's eyes.

"He's here." He said softly standing up and grabbing a Pokéballs off of the table next to him.

"Whose here?" Lila asked, startled by his rapid change of attitude. Mr. Fujiki did not respond but rather released his Alakazam. The green Pokémon created a barrier of energy around Lila and Mr. Fujiki addressed her very quickly.

"The Overlord has been spying on me for years now. His spies just caught sight of that book and the fire snake will be here soon. I should be able to hold him off but I'm no match for him. When you see an opening run for it! And find William Landry he will help you!"

Lila watched in horror as the now deserted Fan club exploded in a burst of white hot flame around her. Though Alakazam's light screen protected her from the blast nothing could protect her from the sight of Mr. Fujiki being incinerated and the place that she had come to love crumbling around her.

When the smoke cleared Izzy and William stood awestruck as the small cottage before them lay in ruins. Then suddenly out of the rubble a girl came running towards them. Behind her an enormous Houndoom erupted from the building followed closely by its master. The man now infamous around Pantera as a cold blooded killer stood dwarfed by his Pokémon laughing at the carnage he had caused.

Lila stood behind William shivering with the fear of such a fearsome creature. Luckily neither William, who had prior dealings with this maniac, nor Izzy were as easily intimidated. Both released a Pokémon, William his Walrein and Izzy her Absol.

Houndoom released a torrent of flames from its gaping jaw, the same flames that had destroyed the building behind them. Walrein did not stand down and at William's command dove straight through the flames to deal a massive blow to the vulnerable Houndoom. Meanwhile Absol slashed its side with razor sharp claws.

However even as the battle raged in front of them the Fire Snake's troops formed behind them. Lila shook herself from her panic attack in time to see a pack of Mighteyena followed by their trainers slowly pacing towards the unprotected backs of William and Izzy. Summoning all of her courage she pulled a Pokéballs from her belt and released her most trusted companion. Ursaring towered above the canine Pokémon the yellow ring on its stomach glowing as it flexed its massive claws and let loose a roar that caused them to stop their slow pacing.

Consumed by a raging furry Ursaring charged into the group knocking mighteyena aside like ragdolls. Its mighty claws found target after target and soon the entire platoon turned tail and fled from the fearsome sight. Behind her William and Izzy were returning their Pokémon after successfully fending off the Fire Snake and his Houndoom.

"Thank you." Lila said breathlessly. "I'm Lila." William looked toward Lila then back towards Izzy as if asking her whether they should help this girl. Izzy answered his unasked question by looking into Lila's eyes and smiling.

"You seem to be in trouble." She said making light of the situation. "How would you like to join us for a while?" Lila's eyes got wide at the offer of protection from the forces of Sharakor that even now she knew would not stop pursuing her.

"You would let me go with you?" she asked awed by the thought of traveling with trainers who possessed the raw power she saw when these two battled.

"Of course." William responded. "Though I suppose we should get moving, this kind of scene is going to attract attention and I think it is too late to get what we came here for." He finished, his last comments aimed towards Izzy.

"By the way I'm Izamina Tessman, but you can call me Izzy." Izzy said making introductions to her new travelling companion. "And that book nerd over there is William Landry. Welcome to the team." She said with a laugh and a smile.

Call to Arms- Angels and Airwaves

Do you feel like you lost everything you can lose  
This is it can you hear me  
When you cry do your tears reach up the room  
Calling out in a moment of need  
Do you ever lay awake with the look in the eyes 


	15. Chapter 15: Survive

Chapter 15: Survive

The woods outside of Violet City were quiet as the sun rose. In the branches far above the ground there were no signs of life; burnt branches that stood like arms reaching towards the sky were that were all that remained of a once vibrant forest. On the forest floor ashes blew in a gentle breeze covering up the only living thing left in the barren landscape.

Reese Morikawa woke slowly; wiping the ash from his face and out of his light blue hair; he stood alone in the clearing among the ash piles. Confused and reeling from a headache he could only assume was the byproduct of a nasty knot on the back of his head Reese sat against the blackened bark of a tree and listened to the sound of the empty woods. He sat there for quite a long time staring into the burnt ground and watching the ashes swirl around in the faint wind.

Reese could not remember what he was doing here, or where here was for that matter. The last thing that he remembered was tracking down a particularly evasive Spinarak through the higher branches of the trees outside of his small village as a gift for his younger brother back home. After that all he remembered was a few seconds of screaming and then he was falling and shortly after that everything went black.

After racking his brain and coming to no conclusions about what had happened to him Reese decided that nothing more could be gained from spending his time in this lifeless hollow. Setting off into the unknown he began walking between the trees searching for anysign of life. His confusion grew with every step; it seemed as though the whole area had been burned by some massive torrent but none of the trees were destroyed, just blackened until about ten feet up.

Once again Reese found himself in a clearing; however this time there was one key difference. He was home. All around him was the remains of his village. The small hut that he had grown up in stood on the outer edge of the village's circular shape. While it was still intact there was something wrong with it. In fact there was something wrong with the whole village. Not one sound came from the usually full of life little town. Nowhere were there the usual sights of children playing or adults conversing. His village had become a hollow shell of a place—a ghost town.

Reese sat down next to his old home. The charred wood he leaned upon blended in with the black t-shirt he was wearing underneath his dark blue vest. His jeans, now covered in ash clung to him as he stained them with the tears of loss. Reese didn't know how long it was that he spent there just sitting and mourning the tragic and sudden removal of his family, friends and past life, nor did he know how long he would have stayed there if a voice had not brought him out of his stupor.

"Well then there is someone in these God forsaken woods after all." A voice rang out from somewhere in front of Reese. Lifting his head out of the cradle he had created with his knees Reese saw a man maybe four or five years his senior waltzing through the village. The man was wearing a rather flashy if dirty uniform of a dark purple suit with a black belt that contained on it six Pokéballs. As he strutted through the remains of Reese's village he took long drags on a cigarette that he twirled between his fingers. When at last the strangely attired man reached Reese he took one last puff and in one fluid motion flicked it away into the woods.

"Well are you going to say anything?" He asked looking down at Reese. Not waiting for a reply he jumped right into an enthusiastic introduction. "The name's Tarrow, Tarrow Arcana, professional gambler, thief, and as of recently pain in Sharakor's precious ass. I travel this wonderful land of ours seeking new and exciting ways to make our royal majesty's men lose their sleep, sanity, and hair. But enough about me who pray tell are you?" Reese was taken aback by the almost whimsical manner this man conducted himself in, but decided that there was sense in making enemies with a man who opposed Sharakor's rule as vehemently as this purple clad rebel.

"My name is Reese." He said "This place was my home before whatever happened here well, happened."

"Well Reese, if you have the time to listen to a tale of mine I may be able to provide you with your answer." It seemed that asking Reese if he could listen was simply a formality as without a second pause Tarrow began his narrative. "Not three days ago I was uh… repossessing some certain assets that I believed that a platoon of his majesty's royal guards came upon through extortion or some other nasty means. However, I was unfortunately caught before I could finish my task and as I fled into the woods I believe the one they call 'The Fire Snake' may have seen me. Anyway I hid out here for a day until he tracked me down. I fought him off for a while but one on one I am no match for a trainer of his caliber, not in a straight brawl anyway. Once again I was forced to flee. Your village took me in for the night and in the morning I left as to not draw attention to your friends."

Reese nodded his head that he understood the man's story. It did make sense time wise. Usually his Pokémon catching expeditions lasted him a few days so the fact that he had not seen Tarrow in the village before did not surprise him. He did start to feel a small bit of anger towards the man for bringing such trouble to his village. The anger must have shown in his eyes because Tarrow saw something in his gaze and immediately began to reassure him that he had not been followed.

"Ah yes, I see that look you're giving me. I assure you that I did not lead the guards here. Not that those blundering fools could have inflicted damage as precise as this." He said gesturing to the burn marks that littered the ground and houses around him. "These are the marks of an extremely powerful ghost Pokémon. I've seen them before once in my life."

"What?" Reese asked interrupting what he was sure would be another long-winded account of Tarrow's adventures. "A ghost Pokémon? I've never heard of any this powerful in these woods."

"No, not many have." Tarrow explained "The name of the Pokémon is Spiritomb. They are old Pokémon that used to be quite the problem for the good people of our lands. But long ago they were all tracked down by the greatest trainers of the age and bound to shrines through ancient rites that have been long forgotten. My guess is that in their own breathtaking brand of incompetence our 'Royal Protectors' must have disturbed the shrine of one of these ancient creatures. And from the looks of things it was not happy." He finished, looking around at the ruins around him as he lit another cigarette.

Reese put his head back against the charred wood sad, angry and confused. If what this man had told him was true then his entire life had been destroyed because of the carelessness of the Overlord's minions. Unless of course they had known what they were dealing with, and out of arrogance had unleashed a force they were not even close to being prepared to deal with. Regaining his composure Reese stood up and in a voice that showed no signs of the torrent of emotions he was feeling inside he responded to Tarrow's story.

"So, where is this Spiritomb now?"

"Well my guess is after it disposed of those who foolishly released it, and all but destroyed these woods, is that it set off towards the closest source of life." Tarrow responded slowly. "Unfortunately it seems that the closest target was your village. As to where it will head next I can only assume that its next target will be Violet City."

"What do you mean by target?" Reese asked confused. "Does Spiritomb have an agenda or is it just floating from one area to another?"

"Excellent question actually. I however do not have time to answer it as I am on my way to Violet City to stop this beast. If you would care to accompany me then I dare to say all your questions will be answered." Tarrow said as he flicked his second cigarette into the woods and turned to leave. Not wanting to be left alone in the ruins of his past Reese followed him towards Violet City and whatever trouble they may find there.

The air around sprout tower grew still and somehow stale, as if all the life were being drained out of it. A pretty young woman with long brown hair stood on a bridge that spanned the small moat surrounding and isolating the tower from the rest of the city. Around her feet several Bellsprout were huddled as if scared of something she could not see. All of a sudden dark clouds formed obscuring the full moon and a wind started to blow. The woman felt a twinge of fear in her heart and returned her Pokémon to their Pokéballs and began to run towards the front door of the tower, tripping over her brown robes in the process.

Before she could reach the tower a stone fell from the sky and landed between her and the doors. Carved into the stone was a crude face set in a frown. This face began to glow with a haunting purple light and from the stone a gray cloud appeared. The smoke began to take the shape of a spinning vortex and from the vortex another face appeared similar to the one on the stone but larger and with a sickly green glow. Soon globs of the same color materialized and spun in the swirling vortex. The cloud began to rise and the stone with it as if they were one entity. From the mouth of the creature a grating moan said one word, a name—_Spiritomb_!

Tarrow and Reese ran through the streets of Violet City like men possessed. As they passed by the bar that Tarrow had visited on his first visit to the city he smiled and thought to himself that he had come a long way in only a few short days. Here he was running towards the very people he had attempted to rob not four days ago with the very different intentions.

Reese had been the one to see the clouds form first and they both knew that such a localized storm was likely the work of Spiritomb. Tarrow however was the one that had realized that the clouds were gathered over the famous sprout tower. Reese was not familiar with the city though he had lived in its shadow all of his life. His village was self sufficient and he preferred the quiet of the woods to the bustle of city life but now he was amazed to see the amenities that those living in the city had. Signs of technology were everywhere, from the traffic lights to the lights in the windows of various shops, to the cars on the streets.

Reese was jerked from his thoughts by Tarrow when the man stopped suddenly just in front of the bridge connecting Sprout Tower to the city. It was a narrow wooden foot bridge only twenty feet or so across and perhaps five feet wide. On the other side of the bridge they could see nothing as it was enveloped in the same dark cloud that reached down from above all but the very top bell tower.

"Spiritomb is very powerful." Tarrow warned. "It would be a mistake to charge in and expect this to be an easy fight. Reese nodded in agreement and they both removed Pokéballs from their belts.

"Well let's do this then." Reese said growing impatient. Tarrow grunted his approval and they slowly made their way across the bridge.

On the other side of the bridge the air was cool and they felt the winds die away as they passed through the black barrier. High above them they could make out a swirling mass of smoke with glowing green eyes and an evil smile. Hovering in the air next to it was the prone, limb form of a woman suspended in the air by a purple glow that seemed to be connecting her to the monster.

Furious Tarrow released his first Pokémon. A Weezing erupted from its Pokéballs in a flash of red light; it was soon joined by a Yanmega as Reese followed Tarrow's example. Spiritomb did not wait for the two to reach its level; instead it dropped like a rock down to the ground and faced the trainers in front of it. Still floating high above was its helpless victim.

"Weezing use Smog!" Tarrow shouted. Weezing allowed itself to ooze a noxious gas that was directed towards the ghost Pokémon. Spiritomb simply gave a booming laugh and absorbed Weezing's attack to the shock of its trainer. Nevertheless Reese took his own shot at the creature.

"Yanmega use Wing Attack!" Yanmega reared up and sent large gusts of wind roaring towards Spiritomb. When they hit the Pokémon blew apart, scattered by the attack. "Alright Yanmega! That's how you do it!" Reese exclaimed joyously.

However Spiritomb was far from finished and before Reese could even finish his celebration it had reformed and retaliated with a devastating Shadow ball that sent Weezing sprawling into the tower. Now enraged it turned its eyes towards Yanmega who on Reese's command began to dart around Spiritomb in an attempt to confuse it.

"Reese we have to attack the stone!" Tarrow shouted over the battle cries of the two dueling Pokémon. Weezing was still immobile and Tarrow ran over to defend his fallen partner leaving Reese alone with Yanmega.

"Yanmega use Air Slash on the stone!" Reese commanded following the Tarrow's instructions. Yanmega complied and sent a razor sharp blade of wind hurtling towards the dangling stone. Upon contact the stone was jerked free from Spiritomb's smoky body and fell to the ground. A look of terror came over Spiritomb as it saw the rock fall and then crack in two upon contact with the ground. The purple glow disappeared from the rock and with it Spiritomb disappeared from the sky, taking its dark clouds with it.

A scream broke the air as the woman whom Spiritomb had captured fell quickly towards the grass. However she was quickly caught by a revived Weezing and brought safely back down next to Tarrow. He knew instantly that this was the same woman whom he had made a promise to several days earlier and gave her a smile before returning his Pokémon and walking toward Reese who was knelling down quietly next to the fragments of the Spiritomb.

"This thing destroyed everything I loved." He said quietly, almost to himself. Tarrow was not one for feelings or soft emotional moments so instead of offering words of kindness he did the only thing he knew to do. He took the pieces of rock from Reese and chucked them into the moat.

"I lost my parents to a Spiritomb attack a long time ago." He said surprised at himself for revealing such information. But it felt right to share with someone who had lost everything in such a similar way. "But the attack that killed them was not as random as this. No, it was a Spiritomb that was released by Sharakor himself for reasons only he knows. I was at my lowest that day, but I didn't let it kill me and neither should you. My point is that you can let this drag your life down or you can learn from it and move on; because life isn't about your hardships it's about how you survive."

Life for you, has been less than kind  
So take a number, stand in line  
We've all been sorry, we've all been hurt  
But how we survive, is what makes us who we are

Survive- Rise Against

Thanks to **Kaze no Fuku Basho **for Reese's Character


End file.
